Business of Misery
by TheCastleRockCats
Summary: Deena had everything, until a new girl rocks up and takes her place. But, she'll not stop until she gets it all back, with a little help from the resident blonde hoodlum. Faye was hoping to start fresh and leave childish games behind her, until she falls into the wrong crowd and into the arms of a guy with a bad eye. There are two sides to every story... TheGoofyCat/CastleRockGirl.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, welcome to this story co-written by TheGoofyCat & CastleRockGirl. It's Katy (TheGoofyCat) here and I have the pleasure of writing the first chapter. Being here for years I've always wanted to do a collab and luckily Megan (CastleRockGirl) did too. So we've come up with this story. Being our first co-write it just had to be about the Cobras! Anyway basic gist of the chapters is I write a chapter in my OC's pov and the next chapter would be Megan's in her OC's pov, so on and so forth.  
The girls in the cover art are Amber Heard (Deena) and Jocelin Donahue (Faye). Music inspiration for this story is Misery Business by Paramore and Better Than Revenge by Taylor Swift. Enjoy and maybe review? :D

* * *

 _ **Business of Misery**_

* * *

 _ **Deena**_

 _ **1**_

* * *

Speeding into the school parking lot I skidded into my usual spot. Shifting the gear stick into first the car made an almighty creek. The sound, like nails on a chalkboard, went straight down my spine.

I turned to my friend Beverly and smiled. She had sat on the passenger side and had been clutching at the dashboard the whole drive to school. She finally took her hands off the dashboard to make the sign of the cross. I suspected her mousy brown hair would soon sprout grey; she had never trusted my driving. She told me numerous times that she feared for her life whenever I was behind a wheel. Call me a bad friend but her protests never stopped me from picking her up. Hell, it never stopped her from getting in the car.

"Deena, do you always have to drive so fast?" Bev grumbled. "I'm not the most religious girl, but... even I was saying a prayer when we hit that corner."

"Bevvy," I cooed. "You should know by now that cutting corners is my way around life."

I grabbed my purse from the backseat, popped it open and pulled out my lipstick. Rolling the tube up, I glanced at the rear-view mirror and applied it to my lips until I was fully satisfied with the pink coating. I turned to Bev and pouted. "This shade suits me well, don't you think?"

She smirked at me and shook her head in disbelief, as if she already knew I knew the answer.

Like always, I left the key slotted in the ignition. It was highly unlikely that anyone would ever boost a bright pink Studebaker. And anyway if they did, it would mean I would get a brand new car along with a brand new sob story to use as ammunition when Daddy asked me why I needed such an expensive car to replace the old one.

The March breeze hit the tip of my nose when I stepped out of the car and onto the ground. I quickly missed the comfort of my warm bed, or even the car radiator. I began regretting my choice of sweater, the one I wore was no use at keeping the cold air at bay, but it sure looked good. And what other choice did I have? The thick ghastly sweater my grandmother had knitted me for Christmas? The one that looked more like roadkill on the side of the road than a pullover?

Me and Bev both slammed the car doors shut in perfect timing and walked up the sidewalk and joined the rest of the students heading into the school.

As Bev and I walked up the steps and into school I began to daydream about walking down the same steps hours later, only to be greeted with not the sight of 200 inches of pink steel, but with tire tracks and an empty parking space to go with it.

We walked through the hallway, Bev a step behind, with me leading the way. The hallway was filled with the sound of giggles and gossip as girls chatted to their friends about what they had been up to over the weekend. Going to an all-girls school meant that the students had to be filled with girls not just from Castle Rock but the towns close to the map. Towns like Portland, Chamberlain, or the shit-hole that was Lewiston. But only one girl from Lewiston was enrolled here, and that was because - rumor had it - her mother had screwed the superintendent.

"Another day in hell," I sighed, slumping against Bev's locker and opening mine. I pulled out my lab book. "Can I borrow your notes? Mine seem to have disappeared."

"That's 'cause you never write them down," Bev replied, pushing me aside to get into her locker. "I swear Mr. Bennett let's you get away with it just because you're blonde."

"Hey," I said with a frown, and slammed my locker shut. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She either means he digs blondes... Or he let's you slack off because blondes aren't known for being smart." I jumped at the voice.

It was the other member of our gang, Annie. I knew it was her, not by the sound of her voice, but by the thick heavy bouffant that shielded the light from my eyes. There wasn't a girl in town who had hair like Annie's.

"Did she just appear out of thin air?" I asked Bev.

"I wish," Annie said, downheartedly. "But this pimple on my cheek is nowhere near thin... I think it weighs about three hundred pounds."

"Here." I snatched this month's Teen magazine out of Bev's locker and shoved it in Annie's hands. "That'll help cover it."

"Very funny," Annie said, rolling her eyes, but she tucked the magazine inside her lab book.

"So," I soothed, turning to Bev. "Since we're lab partners, we need to share notes."

"At least you got a partner," Annie groaned. "Jane still has a fever!"

"Fever!" Bev snorted. "We all know that she caught mono!"

"Well, I'd happily get 'the kissing disease' locking lips with Denny Lachance," I giggled. "What a hunk!"

"You're the worst!" Bev whispered. "You've got a boyfriend!"

"So… It doesn't stop me from admiring those biceps."

Bev and Annie both gave me a look of disapproval before joining in with the swoons and giggles.

Out of chance I glanced to my right and noticed Vice principal - the devil in disguise - Ms. Brown storming down the hall, heading our way.

"Is she checking lockers again?"Bev groaned.

"Yeah... and purses!" Annie replied, clutching her lab book closer to her chest. "I saw her this morning during choir practice. She already checked both your lockers. Bev I think she took your-"

"She didn't check our purses," I snapped. "And I got half a pack of smokes inside mine."

Annie looked at the ground, ashamed that she hadn't warned us as soon as we had stepped inside the school.

"Quick." I pulled out my pack of Lucky Strikes from my purse. "Stash this in your hair!" I shoved the cigarette carton into her hands. Annie's bouffant was big enough to hide the entire county inside.

"I can't! I've already got my lipstick and not to mention the entire choirs…" she trailed before giving in. "Fine!" She tucked the smokes in the back of her hair and began stick some extra bobby pins in the side. "By the end of the day, my do's gonna look like a bird's nest."

"It already does!"

"Does not!"

The three of us watched Ms. Brown search through every passing girl's purse. She confiscated anything deemed the work of the devil, it was mainly make-up and the occasional pack of smokes. We didn't call her Bitch Brown for nothing.

"What do you think she does with it all?"

"Sells it, probably." I shrugged. "How do you think she affords that car we see her driving around in? Cosmetics is a booming business and with the number of products she has inside her desk; she'll be raking it in."

Annie giggled but stopped when Ms. Brown approached us.

"Ladies," she beamed. The candy sweetness of her voice and smile was just enough to turn my stomach. "Open up those purses."

I unwillingly obliged and she took out my tube of lipstick and studied it for a moment before tucking it away in her suit jacket. I silently groaned and cursed myself for not giving it to Annie.

Once she was satisfied with all three of our purses she walked away. I glared at the back of her head and stuck my tongue out, I quickly pulled it back in when she retreated.

"Geraldine," she said, still smiling. "Lengthen your skirt... we wouldn't want to be giving out the wrong impression now, would we?"

My skirt was only an inch above the knee, but way above what this prison ordered.

I sighed, rolling, not just my skirt, but my eyes too.

"And, Annie? Do something with your hair. It looks like a bird has perched on top and made a nest. It's unsightly." Ms. Brown turned her nose up in the air and fluttered down the corridor, we all watched her turn right and disappear into the teacher's lounge.

Annie's cheeks turned the same shade as the confiscated lipstick and she went to fix her hair with her free hand.

"Don't!" I slapped her hand away. "Not unless you want your hair to erupt."

Bev smirked. "I bet she comes to school tomorrow wearing your lipstick."

"Gross!"

* * *

"I hate when she calls me Geraldine," I spat in disgust, walking into science class. I was still complaining about the witch that was Ms. Brown from the hallway to the classroom. "It makes my stomach churn. I could kill my folks for calling me that."

Me and Bev claimed our usual spot at the back.

"There's worse names out there, Deena," Annie said. She sat herself on top of mine and Bev's lab counter.

"Oh, yeah," I groaned. "Like what?"

"I dunno... " she trailed. "Polly? Or Frances-"

"Yes?" Frances Davis turned around from the lab in front.

She stared blankly at Annie.

"Can I borrow a pencil?" Annie asked.

Ditsy, or not, the girl was great at thinking fast.

"Don't you have one in your hair?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot." Annie pulled the pencil out from behind her ear. "Thanks!"

Frances rolled her eyes and eventually turned back to face the front.

Mr. Bennett walked into class, a cup of coffee in his hands, and his thick rimmed glasses stuck on the edge of his nose.

"Annie, get to your lab," he ordered.

"But, Sir," Annie groaned. "Jane is still off sick. Can't I partner up with Bev and Deena? I can't do all the work by myself."

I couldn't disagree with her. If Annie had to do an experiment all on her lonesome the whole school would've had to have been evacuated.

"It's your lucky day," Mr. Bennett told her. "We have a new student joining us today."

Everyone in the classroom gasped and gossiped together and poor Annie had no one to gossip to as she made her way to her empty lab counter.

Mr. Bennett began to scribble on the board "Turn to page forty-four."

But nobody turned to page forty-four, all eyes were on the classroom door waiting for the new girl to arrive.

We all watched her like a hawk when she finally walked into class and walked over to Mr. Bennett and handed him a slip of paper. She stood awkwardly as he pushed up his glasses to read it.

I eyed her up and down and watched as she tried to shake the hair away from her eyes before giving up and using her hand. She looked shyly around the class and her eyes spotted the empty spot beside Annie. Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed Annie and her hair.

"Class, this is Faye Reed-"

"Reeves."

"Right. Miss. Reeves, why don't you introduce yourself to the class."

I yawned and turned to page forty-four. Science would definitely be a lot more interesting than listening to the new girl introduce herself. There was nothing about her that intrigued me. In fact she looked drab, like she had come straight out of a farm or something.

* * *

English class was before lunch and I knew what I was in for; Mr. Walker reciting Shakespeare whilst he leered at the girls sitting in the front desks. So I ran to class to get to the classroom before everyone else.

Mr. Walker was sitting at his desk scoring classwork when I walked over to him.

I coughed and sniffled dramatically. "Sir, I don't feel so good." I coughed again. "I need to see the school nurse."

"Hmm," he sighed, looking up at me. "And what exactly is wrong with you Miss. Fletcher?"

"My palms are sweating and my chest feels like it's going to explode!" I increased my breathing. "I think I caught what Jane Quinn has."

His eyes instantly looked down at my chest and that's when I pushed my chest out.

"Why, uh, yes," he spluttered and then cleared his throat. "Make sure you get a slip from the nurse."

I smiled to myself as I sauntered out of the classroom, passing Beverly on my way out. She was alone, usually Annie would be attached to her hip but she was nowhere to be seen. I sent Bev a wink and she grinned.

I skipped down the corridor, making sure I was on the lookout for any stray teachers that were out of class.

Once I got the nurse's office, I composed myself by clutching my stomach and then rapped on the door.

Miss. Peters, the school nurse, took instant pity on me and I got to spend the whole time lying on the infirmary bed with a cool rag on my forehead. It was bliss!

I excused myself five minutes before class would be over and lunch was just around the corner. I decided to wait for Bev and Annie at our lockers, making sure I had the nurses slip just in case Ms. Brown stormed the halls.

I strolled past the janitor's closet when a hand covered my mouth and another grabbed my arm and shoved me inside.

"What are you doing out of class, young lady?" A stern voice whispered in my ear.

I heard the door getting locked from behind us.

I gasped when I felt his lips trail along my neck.

"Eyeball, what are you doing here?" I giggled. "We do this on Thursday, not Monday."

I felt him shrug. "I was bored! Now, shut up and let me kiss you!"

I obliged, giggling and swooning when his lips went from my neck to my mouth.

The lunch bell rang, but I ignored it. Even If I were hungry I wouldn't let it come between us.

He unbuttoned my blouse as I took the shirt off his back. Time seemed to disappear and our kisses became hot and heavy. Eyeball always knew how to take a girl away from this world, just from the roughness of his lips and the touch of his hands.

A thump on the door sent me back to reality and I remembered that I wasn't in paradise; I was still in the janitor's closet.

The pounding on the door increased.

I moaned, between kisses, "What?"

His hands still explored my body, his lips still attached to my neck. I moaned again, but this time with delight. It was dark in there but he knew his way around my body.

"Deena, get outta there!" It was Bev. "Bitch Brown is walking right down the hall."

Shit! I was in trouble. How did Bev even know I was in here? Well, if Bev knew I was in here Ms. Brown was sure to find out.

"Eyeball, get off!" I tried and failed, to push our bodies apart. "I mean it!"

"Ah, c'mon!" he groaned. "We're just getting to the good part."

He went to kiss me again, but I leaned away.

"I mean it, Ricky. If we get caught, I'll be put in isolation or worse… suspended!"

"Let 'em suspend ya!" I could tell he was smirking. "This is worth getting in trouble for."

"Maybe for you, but I want to graduate!"

 _"You'll not graduate if you spend all your days making out in the janitor's closet!"_

"Bev, get your ear off the door," I spat. That girl was always eavesdropping. "Eyeball, I don't know how you got in here. But, you gotta jump outta the window... Now!"

"Fine!" I could hear him rustle around for something. "You seen my shirt?"

"Does it look like I can see?"

Ms. Brown was sure to be approaching any minute.

"We don't have time, Eyeball! Just leave without it!"

"All right, all right," he grumbled. "I'm leaving. But, you owe me!"

"Pick me up at six, all right?" I gave him one last kiss and then pushed him away.

I waited for him to jump out the window before I opened the closet door and stepped out.

Bev, who was leaning against the wall, smiled coyly over at me.

"What?" I shrugged and straightened my skirt. "He was just helping me fix my hair." I began to primp my hair, ignoring the look of disbelief she sent my way.

She sighed, with a smirk, "If that's what you kids are calling it these days."

"How'd you know I was in there?"

"Who didn't know you were in there?"

"Shut up," I said, buttoning up my blouse.

Ms. Brown sauntered past, I gave her a small smile and she looked skeptically at me as she disappeared into her office.

That was close. Too close.

I liked my arm with Bev's. "I'm starved and it's lunchtime. Where's Annie?"

Bev giggled, "Before English, her hair deflated, well, more like exploded! Bitch Brown caught her and found all the stuff she had tucked up inside. She had to stay and tidy up after class."

"I told her to stop touching it!" I groaned.

"Yeah," Bev grinned. "She has to stay after school and bang erasers too."

I rolled my eyes. "Trust Annie to screw everything up. C'mon, let's go! Annie can have the scraps when she finally returns!"

* * *

I pushed my half eaten sandwich away.

"Can I have that?" Annie asked, sitting herself down beside me and Bev. "All that was left was stale bread and tough meat."

I pushed the plate towards her, giving her the go ahead.

"It's your own fault... shouldn't have been playing with your hair," I said and then gulped down the rest of my milk. I scrunched up the carton and tossed it into the trashcan a few feet behind us.

Bev looked up from the romance novel she was reading and she sighed, "Lunch isn't the same without Paulette!"

"You say this every time!" I groaned.

Paulette was the fourth member of our group. Last spring she had been shipped away for nine months and counting. It didn't take an Einstein to realize why - she had gotten herself knocked up - and now our foursome was down to three. It was March now and it didn't look like Paulette was ever going to return.

"It's true though!" Bev placed the book on the desk. "Three isn't a good number."

"What do you suggest we do about it, huh?" I asked somewhat impatiently.

"We could look for a replacement?"

"In this place? C'mon, we all know no one has what it takes."

"Well, what about Georgina Carmichael?"

"No way!" The chick looked like she had been beaten with the ugly stick.

"Hannah McGuire?"

"No." She was way too pretty.

"I know," Annie sighed, playing with her hair.

Me and Bev looked at her.

"What about that new girl?

"Who? That drab looking thing?" I grimaced. "She's as dull as ditch-water."

"She seemed fine when I was talking to her."

"Well, fine ain't gonna cut it."

"Maybe, we could fix her up?" Bev shrugged.

"There she is over there!" Annie whispered, pointing to the canteen door.

I looked over and sure enough she was there, looking like a lost puppy and out of her depth. Her skirt was well below her knees and she tugged at her sweater nervously. It would take a lot of work to fix her up, but I had to admit it did appeal to me.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" I sighed. "Call her over."


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys, Megan A.K.A CastleRockGirl here, and I am glad to be back in the fandom after all this time! This is my first chapter and runs alongside Katy's, from my OC Faye's POV. The next chapter to follow will be Katy's and it'll continue like so :) Thanks so much for all the reviews, favourites and follows so far! We hope you enjoy the collab and please leave a review to let us know what you think :D

* * *

 ** _Business of Misery_**

* * *

 _ **Faye**_

 _ **2**_

* * *

"So, where are you from originally?"

I juggled my science book for a few seconds before holding it under my arm. Annie walked beside me, fiddling and fixing at pins in her hair. She had been assigned my lab partner because hers was off and I was the odd one out in class, we had chatted on and off and she had offered to show me the way to our English class, being the new girl I didn't say no - no matter how strange her hair was.

"Oklahoma," I explained. "We just moved here about a week ago."

"Where?"

"Kent Drive?" I said, uncertain if she knew where it was, but I assumed from the nod she did. "Where do you live?"

"Over on Elmwood. We live about ten minutes apart, I'm just past the church."

"Oh."

"You have no idea where the church is, do you?" She giggled.

"Sorry, no," I replied. "I've been helping fix up the house, we haven't really gotten round to looking about the place never mind attending a service."

"Such a poor Christian," she joked. Sighing in frustration, she halted and turned to me. "Hey, can you hold my purse for a sec? This 'do is starting to really bug me and I haven't enough time to go to the bathroom before class."

I took her purse and watched with concern as she tried fixing at her hair for a few seconds, pulling out a bobby-pin only to jab it in somewhere else every few seconds. One seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back and her hair fell apart, causing several items that had been concealed inside tumble to the ground.

"Shit!" she cried, bending down and frantically searching the floor between people's feet to recover whatever it was that had fallen out. I looked down and noticed several tubes of lipstick, a compact mirror and a tube of mascara. But the most impressive item of them all had landed on my shoe. I bent down and picked up the Lucky Strikes, also grabbing a rogue lipstick that had rolled just out of Annie's reach.

"I'm so clumsy, I knew I shouldn't have stuffed so much in."

"Could have fooled me," I said, with a small chuckle. "I'm surprised it held for so long."

We broke into laughter and ignored the girls who pushed past us impatiently as they hurried to their next class.

Our laughter stopped when a pair of smart heels came to a deliberate stop in front of us.

"Ah-hem."

Uh oh.

"Uh... we were just-"

"I can see exactly what you were just doing. Thank you, Annie. These items are not permitted inside the school grounds! You know the rules," the teacher told Annie. She looked me up and down and her eyes turned murderous as they focused on the pack of cigarettes I was clutching. "And I expected better from our newest pupil, Miss...?"

"Reeves, Miss. Faye Reeves." I said, my face flooding with embarrassment.

"Follow me," she instructed both me and Annie.

We trailed behind her with our heads hung low, students stared curiously to find out why we were being marched down the hall.

"Sorry," Annie muttered.

"Never mind," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "Just don't pack so many cosmetics in your hair next time."

Annie sniggered, snatching the lucky strikes from my hand and opening the lid, she pulled out two cigarettes and held them out for me to take, which I did so and quickly slipped them into my pocket. She winked at me and I had to hide a smile as the stern-looking teacher opened the office door and pointed for us to go inside.

I stood five minutes later with a slip in my hand telling my teacher that I was late because I had been written up for detention after school. I rushed into my English class and handed the note to a teacher who looked like he couldn't care less if I showed up at all. He pointed me to my seat before continuing to read Shakespeare to the class in a voice that made me want to fall asleep.

I sat in the back and ignored the stares from other classmates as I flipped open my book and tried to take some notes, quickly realising I had read the play in my junior year at my old school. My copy was sure to be at the old house, so I'd have to make do with the teacher's recital.

Before I knew it the bell had rung for lunch and everyone made a quick getaway for the door, all except Annie who had to stay behind after class and bang erasers. She sent me a small wave, before banging the two erasers together dramatically, forming a thick cloud of dust around her. I smiled back and collected my things, narrowly dodging a girl with mousy brown hair who must've either been waiting after class to speak to the teacher or Annie. With the way she giggled at Annie's display, I figured the latter.

The lunch bell rang out shrilly just above my head and I cringed, suddenly being swept up in the current of girls heading in the direction of the canteen. When I arrived at the doors I lingered hesitantly, trying to find somewhere to sit. If there were any empty seats the majority of the rest of the table was occupied by a group of chatty girls, and I didn't know if I could be smiley and make small talk after just getting a detention. It was definitely not a good way to start off at this school.

Screw this, I thought. I'm going for a smoke.

* * *

"Watch it!"

What in the hell?

I looked up just in time to jump out of the way as a figure dropped from several feet above me to the ground, for a second I thought it was a teacher very dedicated to catching students smoking. Only when they straightened up did I realise it was a boy... A very shirtless boy.

I stared at him in disbelief as he gave me an annoyed look. Taking the unlit cigarette from my mouth, I looked up at where he had jumped from, the open window above and the gutter pipe leading me to believe he must have had to make a hasty escape.

"Sorry, I didn't know to look out for guys falling from the sky," I snorted. "You ever heard of a door?"

"You saw nothing, all right?"

I held my hands up, startled by his forceful tone. "God, I'm hardly gonna run inside and say I stumbled upon some lunatic scaling the building while I snuck out for a smoke. Believe me, I don't care what you were doing. Although I think I can guess."

Why a guy would need to drop out a window of an all-girls' school without a shirt on is hardly the million dollar question, and his smirk told me I was right.

With a move quicker than a flash he grabbed the cigarette from my hand and took out a lighter from his back pocket. He was lucky I had two of those, and I was lucky he had a light. I grabbed the other from my pocket and made sure he lit mine before he clicked the lighter shut.

He took a long pull of the cigarette before pointing it at me and grunted, "Ain't you that new girl?"

My mouth fell open in surprise, "How did you know I was new?"

"Never seen you round here before..."

"You know every girl around here?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

"Just the ones that matter." He smirked.

I made a disgusted sound in the back of my throat and he chuckled, not the least bit ashamed of his words.

"Yes. I'm new... this is my first day."

"And you're already sneaking out for a smoke?" he asked and this time it was his turn to raise his eyebrows. I sensed he was no stranger to the concept.

"Well, I just got detention. So I figured I was overdue."

"How'd you manage that?" He laughed.

"Was walking down the hall with this girl and she was fixing her hair when about ten lipsticks, a pack of smokes and God knows what else fell out. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Unlucky. Annie's usually a champion at hiding stuff in that thing on her head," he whistled. He knew it was Annie? I guess he really did know everybody in this school. "You ain't a pupil here till you get detention over something stupid. You might wanna lengthen that skirt a little too." His eyes lingered down.

I looked down to see my school skirt had indeed ridden up a little where I had jumped down from the small wall in front of the canteen in order to not be seen. I tugged it down with a sigh of frustration, that was a little bit more of my thigh than I was comfortable showing to a stranger.

"This coming from a guy who's shirtless?"

"Enjoying the view?" He teased, leaning against the that my initial shock had faded and the fact he wasn't wearing a shirt no longer surprised me, I was able to take in the fact we looked around the same age. His shoulders were broad, and from the biceps down flecks of dark grease stained his skin, I guessed he worked with motors or some kind of machinery. Streaks of grease swept lightly over his forehead where he must have wiped away sweat, or perhaps ran a hand through his brown and styled- although slightly unkempt no doubt from recent activities- curly hair. Finally my gaze fell to his mischievous eyes, the left slightly obscured by some kind of scar, causing it to squint a fraction more than the other. I wanted to ask how it had come to be there, but feared my question would reveal I had been staring. He was rough-looking, definitely not a stranger to dirty work, and his disregard for any attempts to clean himself up before appearing at the school showed he wasn't at all ashamed of this fact.

I only allowed myself to take in his appearance for a couple of seconds for fear he would indeed think I enjoyed staring at him. I rolled my eyes and started to walk away, the last thing I needed on top of a detention was to be caught smoking with some random boy, especially one with no shirt on.

"Hey! Where ya going?"

"You know the one rule about skipping school? To make it back in time before you get caught."

"Yeah, well the door's that way!"

I turned around and looked at him pointing smugly. It seemed I was going the wrong direction, around the side of the building which was just a long stretch of windows. And I was not that committed to getting back inside.

"Oh." I muttered in embarassment, spinning on my heel to head in the opposite direction, forcing me to pass by him again.

He took his foot off the wall and took a few steps, for a second I thought he was going to follow me.

"What's your name, anyway?" he asked, taking a long draw from his cigarette.

"Faye Reeves."

"See ya 'round, Faye Reeves." He flicked the cigarette to the ground and jogged away.

"Nice to meet you too!" I hollered after him. I didn't even get his name.

He gave a dismissive wave over his shoulder as if I had wore out his interest. I scoffed a little at his demeanor as he walked confidently across the lot, as if getting caught trespassing on school property was nothing to him. Maybe it wasn't.

"First damn day," I muttered, stubbing my cigarette out on the wall, I shook it until it was cool before slipping it into my pocket.

My stomach rumbled and I could put if off no longer, I headed back towards the canteen and hoped some more seats had been freed up so I could have lunch in peace. I'd have no one to talk to, but at least I had gotten a cigarette before I had to deal with all that.

The cafeteria still buzzed with activity as I walked in and there was still no free table where I could quietly eat my sandwich and apple. I stood uncomfortably hoping for a miracle seat to appear where I could eat in peace and not get stared at like a Martian.

"Faye!"

My head shot up automatically as a voice called my name loudly, there was no mistaking it. In an instant I felt stupid, there could be ten people in the room named Faye, maybe more, so why would anyone be calling me out?

A waving hand pulled my attention to a table of girls, their heads turned my way. I recognised the waving girl as Annie, who was beckoning me over to an empty chair beside her. I made my way over, awkwardly coming to stand in front of the empty chair at the end of their table, my fingers curling anxiously around the leather strap of my bag, hoping that I could find some way to ask if I could sit with her and her friends, if only until I had finished eating.

"Ladies," Annie began, "This is the poor soul that was walking beside me when my hair erupted. Thanks to her I'm only serving one detention rather than two. Again I'm sorry."

I shrugged, giving her a reassuring smile. "It's fine, really. Got myself two cigarettes out of it, so not a huge loss."

The blonde girl who had been staring me down turned to Annie with a pointed look.

"Had to give the girl something for her troubles," Annie told her sheepishly, and I realised maybe the cigarettes had not been Annie's.

"As long as I get them back." The blonde turned to me and gave me a scathing once-over with her narrowed eyes. "I don't do charity."

My anger flared a little at the mention of charity, as if two cigarettes would break the bank, but I forced a polite smile and spoke, "I'll even throw in an extra to say thanks."

That seemed to please her, the narrowed eyes giving way to a sickly sweet smile. "Swell. I'm Deena by the way."

"Hey," I replied. I turned to the remaining girl I had no name for, but I recognised her as the girl who had waited for Annie after English.

"Beverly. But everyone calls me Bev."

"Wanna have lunch?" Annie asked, gesturing to the empty chair.

I blinked in surprise, staring between her and the other two girls. They hardly knew me, and here I was invited to lunch. Well, I was hardly in a position to say no.

"Sure, I'd love to." I smiled as I gratefully took the seat.

"So," Deena began as soon as I had unpacked my sandwich and apple, the sandwich a little banged out of shape from being in my bag all morning. "Annie was telling us about her little explosion earlier, it must suck having detention on your first day."

I shook my head as I chewed on the sandwich. "It's fine, really. It was an accident, and I was pretty impressed that you managed to hide all of that in the first place."

Annie giggled, patting her hair which was now styled back into its bouffant. "It's a talent. Usually it holds pretty well, I guess today just was not my lucky day."

"It was _almost_ mine," Deena remarked, a little bitter but nevertheless her eyes sparkled with some kind of inside joke that I still was not have been privy to as Beverly sniggered beside her.

I continued picking at my lunch, and the girls exchanged some sort of look while I had my head down.

"What was Oklahoma like?"

Annie's question was badly timed as I chewed through some ham. "It was nice," I replied, an awkward silence that followed told me I was being a little short. "I mean, we lived in the middle of nowhere and the nearest town was miles away. You guys must find it so much more interesting being right here in town."

They all burst out laughing at my words, and Deena rolled her eyes and said, "You'll see pretty soon there isn't much interesting going on here, usually we have to go out of town to find any fun."

"Oh," I replied. "Like what?"

"This and that." Deena waved her hand dismissively. "Portland has the cinema and the dance hall, and you have to go even further for any decent shopping."

"So have you guys lived here all your lives?"

They all nodded.

"We've been friends for years, we all came here together," Bev answered. "Other girls go to the high school where it's mixed, and others who are a little more- um, affluent, come here."

I knew there was the option of going to the mixed school, and it would mean I could be in the same school as my brother Dawson. But alas, my uncle decided he'd fork out for the tuition this school used as a blinking sign that it's pupils were cut above the rest, and so I was sent here. Not that by any means Dawson needed me, he had clambered out of the bed of my uncle's truck this morning and jogged up to the school with a spring in his step. I watched until his gangling frame had disappeared through the front doors of the school, he walked confidently thanks to the growth spurt the latest summer had given to him, his curly hair a little shaggy because he had skipped a few haircuts, it looked wild compared to the gelled styles of the other boys his age and older.

He would be fine, I knew that. I was the one who needed somebody. But now sitting here I felt a little better, like maybe I'd be okay.

"So you're related to Aaron Reeves then I take it?" Deena asked, pulling me from my musings.

"Yeah. He's my uncle."

"Aaron Reeves?" Annie repeated, a little confused. "Where do I know that name from?"

"From the store downtown," Deena explained in exasperation. "You know the hardware store we walk by like every single day?"

"What the hell reason would I have to know where the hardware store is?" Annie asked defensively. "When's the last time you saw me doing any kind of manual labor?"

"True," Deena remarked. "You can barely file your nails."

The three girls broke into laughter and I found myself joining in, it was obvious the insulting was light-hearted.

"He also owns that construction company adding new houses up on Chestnut. They built practically every new house on the view," Bev said, sounding impressed. I guess everyone knew everyone in this town and what they had for breakfast.

"Yeah, he does," I replied.

The three exchanged a quick look which I knew immediately, my uncle was seriously rich. Between the store which he didn't really even need, and the construction company, my uncle was pretty much one of the most loaded people in the town. They probably guessed I was by association.

"I'm actually working in the hardware store for him, part-time." That ought to set the record straight, I thought. After chewing on a crust for a few seconds I looked up to see them seeming somewhat shocked. Bev was the quickest to recover and shot me a polite smile.

"Well, that sounds cool!" She smiled but I could sense a grimace underneath. "So you work with... tools?"

Deena snorted and Annie looked horrified. But I sniggered at Bev's tone, she said tools like I worked at a slaughterhouse or something.

"Well, I haven't started yet. He's showing me round the shop later and then I'll maybe start at the weekend," I explained, a little troubled by how Deena's eyes narrowed at my words, but she recovered quickly and shook her head as if some thought running through it had troubled her but she decided to overlook it.

"So you're a working gal! Very modern." Deena quickly fixed another smile on her face. "We'll maybe drop by and say hi from time to time."

"I'd like that."

"And hey, you wanna sit with us the rest of the week? We usually go out for a smoke as well before class, if you're up for it?" she said, her smirk daring me to say no. "Since mine are long gone." She shot Annie another glare. "I'll have to smoke Bevvy's imported ones."

"I'd love to join," I answered, if she only knew where I had been before lunch and who I had met. But If I mentioned it I really doubted that they'd believe my tale about a shirtless boy and his dodgy left eye. "I'd really appreciate it. You guys are really cool to offer."

She shrugged casually, waving it off. "Oh it's no problem, gotta make the new girl feel welcome, don't we girls?"

Bev and Annie nodded in unison, and Deena pulled a compact from her purse to inspect her lipstick. When she was satisfied she clicked it closed and an unspoken signal told everyone it was time for that smoke break. I crumpled up my lunch bag and dropped it in a trashcan as I followed them out.

Taking the leftover cigarette butt from earlier from my pocket I caught the lighter Annie tossed me and lit it as we crossed the lawn, the sun shining down its rays warming my skin as I followed them along a treeline where we'd be less visible. Deena beckoned for the lighter as she threw her sweater down before lying on the grass, leaning back on one arm as she raised her cigarette to her lips with the other.

I sat on my knees beside Bev who lounged on her side. The girls seemed confident they wouldn't get caught out at this stage. Some small clusters of girls passed by and we went unnoticed for the most part except for when people greeted Deena, it was obvious she was the most popular of the group. She wore the confidence of being Queen Bee of the group as naturally as her lipstick, the familiarity of it all was a little unsettling.

Shaking off any feelings of deja vu I laid back on the grass and let the sun soak into my skin, there was a chill in the air but it wasn't so bad. The feelings of nervousness that had settled over me since my eyes opened this morning slowly ebbed away as small talk and chatter took up the rest of the lunch period.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, everyone! Welcome back. I hope you're enjoying this story as much as we're enjoying writing it. Anyway here's my second chapter, I had a blast writing it! It's pretty long for me, I guess I got carried away and went with the flow! Want to say thank you to all the reviewers and the favs/alerts, you rock \m/  
Shout-out to **BoatsAgainstTheCurrent** , **powerroverbirds** , **Horse lover** , **Izout** and **Entangler** for your awesome reviews! Thank you!

Enjoy!

* * *

 _ **Business of Misery**_

* * *

 _ **Deena**_

 _ **3**_

* * *

It was half-six when I walked into the Blue Point diner. After waiting fifteen minutes for Eyeball to show, which he never did, I gave up and decided I wasn't going to stay at home and pine for him, or kill time for him to get his ass into gear and finally pick me up. I got into my car and drove to the diner.

Bev was waiting for me in our booth. She was flicking through the pages of Teen magazine, chewing on bubblegum and twirling her hair with a pencil. There was no sign of Annie, or that chick from Oklahoma; her name was almost as forgettable as her face.

"Where's Annie?" I asked, shuffling over to the seat by the window and grabbing a menu.

"She got detention, remember?... She'll be here after seven."

"I'm definitely not waiting that long to eat," I grumbled, my eyes skimming the menu. "I'm starved. I can't decide between French fries or Cobb salad."

"Cobb salad, better for your hips," she sighed. "Eyeball came in looking for you, by the way."

"Why didn't you say that in the first place!" I looked at her. "He was supposed to pick me up! Where did he go?"

"Irby's... I think."

"Typical!"

When it came to booze or his girl, Eyeball always chose the one thing that couldn't talk back. Irby's was Eyeball and his pals watering-hole. The NO MINORS sign that was stuck on the door was never upheld, after all I was pretty sure Eyeball and his cronies were keeping it in business. It was the place to be if you were a JD, outcast, or one of those skanky girls from the public school.

I breathed an annoyed sigh, and shimmied out of the booth.

Before I could leave - and give Eyeball a piece of my mind - Bev grabbed my wrist. "But-uh, Deena? He didn't look very pleased. I think he found out about you and that guy from out of town..."

Suddenly I didn't feel so hungry!

When I stepped out of the diner, I knew I'd have to come up with a pretty fast explanation as to why I did what I did, Irby's was two stores down and a very short walk. If I could weasel my way out of going inside that wretched hut I'd jump at the chance; a girl like me should never be caught dead in a place like that. But I had some explaining, or better yet... pleading to do.

Last week Eyeball and I had gotten into a fight. It was more one-sided, he annoyed me and I stormed off. Next thing I knew I was dancing up at the Portland dance hall with my body firmly attached to a fine young man and my lips stuck on his. How on earth Eyeball found out about it, I'll never know.

I peeked through the glass window of the billiards bar and sure enough Eyeball was inside, playing a game of darts with Ace Merrill.

Vince Desjardins and Billy Tessio hung around them like flies. I grimaced at the sight of Billy, his hair was one big dollop of Royal Crown's Pomade! What Annie saw in him was a question me and Bev all too often wondered. Annie had been infatuated with him, and his slime styled hair, ever since she was in middle school. Her mother had forced her to take piano lessons at the Tessio's house and whilst Annie was watching Billy from the window, to the tune of Mrs. Tessio playing Chopsticks, she was dreaming of their wedding.

"Billy, get the drinks in!" I heard Ace order as I walked into the pool hall. I watched Ace throw his dart and it landed on the board with perfect precision. Ace had practically grew up in a tavern, so it wasn't a surprise that he knew his way around a dartboard.

I tapped my shoes on the ground waiting to be seen, but to no avail. I was tempted to cough, loudly, to get them to notice me, but the less attention I brought to myself the better.

"We'll be waiting all day, man." Eyeball chuckled, yanking Ace's darts out of the board. "Asshole ain't got a pot to piss in."

"I got more than you, cock-sucker!" Billy spat, shoving past Eyeball on his way to the bar.

Urgh! Their constant swearing was less than desirable.

"Who you calling a cock-sucker? We all know what you get up to in the men's can and it ain't taking a leak, that's for sure," Eyeball cackled, gesturing an obscene movement with the dart and his mouth.

"You look an awful lot comfy with that dart, Chambers," Ace drawled. "Looks like you know what you're doing."

I rolled my eyes; Eyeball chose them over me?

Ace looked over his shoulder and saw me. His lips curled into a devilish smirk, his eyes turned villainous. I suddenly knew he knew all about my little trip to Portland, and he was just waiting for trouble, or hoping to cause it. "Look who's here, boys!" I should've known it was the latter. Ace gave Eyeball a firm pat on the back. "Ain't you gonna welcome your broad to the joint?"

Eyeball looked over and our eyes met, his brown eyes unwelcoming and hostile, his left eye twitching. I felt my stomach drop, he looked pissed, and a pissed off Eyeball was no good to anyone! He shrugged his shoulders, turned back and grunted, "She ain't no broad of mine."

"She made a fool of you, man. What you gonna do 'bout it?" There it was... Ace Merrill stirring trouble, standing back and waiting for the fireworks. He was the devil on Eyeball's shoulder, always swaying him to a path of destruction and Eyeball fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

I watched Eyeball throw his dart, it missed the board by an inch, with his dodgy left eye he had never been good at targets.

"It's a pity you can't swing a dart as good as you can suck on one, aye?" Vince cackled beside him.

Eyeball glowered and threw his second dart with such force it was bound to hit his target. But, this time he wasn't aiming for the board... he was aiming for Vince.

Vince narrowly dodged the dart and it struck the wall behind him. "You almost pierced my fucking ear!" he cried.

"Yeah? Next time I'll aim for your crotch, jackass!" Eyeball seethed. He threw another dart and it landed on the bulls-eye of the board. "Suck on that!"

"Oh, you just try it..."

I decided to step in, before a full blown fight erupted between Eyeball and Vince. There were always fights between The Cobras. It would always end in a black eye, and then be settled with a beer or five. Vince and Eyeball were always brawling, both fighting for a higher position in the group. With Ace naturally the leader, Eyeball was left with second-in-command and Vince was just itching to take that title from him.

"Eyeball, can we talk?" I said, softly.

"We all got mouths, don't we?"

His hoodlum friends laughed at the great wit.

"Outside?" I said, ignoring the sniggers.

He shook his head and sighed, muttering something under his breath. He gave Vince a good slug on the chest with his fist as he walked away telling him that whatever fight they were about to have wasn't over.

I followed Eyeball outside. I stood in front of him as he leaned against the brick wall, unrolling his carton of smokes from his white shirt and lighting one, usually he'd offer me a smoke, but this time he didn't.

"What do you want, Deena?" He glared, exhaling smoke out of his nostrils. Urgh, I hated it when he did that, and I was sure he had done it on purpose.

"Why didn't you pick me up?" I decided to play it coy.

"I thought I'd leave that for your boyfriend." Eyeball grinned, an unpleasant grin. "You know, the one in Portland..."

"I don't-"

"You think I don't know people? Some punk told Ace he seen you up there! Looking real friendly with some guy. Don't deny it; Ace told me." Yeah, I bet he did! That bleached blonde greaser was nothing but a pain in my backside. There was no denying it now, especially since Eyeball believed every word that came out of that hoodlums mouth.

I crossed my arms, picturing Ace's face as he told Eyeball all about my little adventure up in Portland, and now there was nothing holding me back. "You ditched me to play that silly mailbox game with Ace and his stooges! So what? I wanted a little attention from someone that wasn't going to choose beer, grease, and baseball bats over me. And guess what?... I got it!"

"That's just your problem, Deena. Instead of going home and crying about it, like most chicks... you jump at any chance you get for revenge. If you want to keep shacking up with other guys every time I piss you off, then be my fucking guest."

I flinched at the curse word and watched him take another draw from the cigarette. His eyes -the left still twitching- stared me down. Eyeball had a way of making me weak at the knees, but he also had a way of making me grovel. What was it about that dodgy eye?

"C'mon, Ricky. We need to talk about this," I said, batting my eyelashes. And giving him the 'I'm sorry, I can make it all better...' face.

"There's nothing to talk about, all right?" He shrugged.

I smiled, the face always worked; it was a sure thing! "Thank God! 'Cause I'm really hungry..."

"I'm finished with ya, baby."

"What?" My mouth gaped open, it was an expression I wasn't proud of.

"We're done!" Eyeball smirked, flicking the cigarette on the sidewalk. He stepped his foot off the wall and swaggered back into Irby's.

I could only gawk at the door, as it swung shut.

He would soon come running back... he always did.

* * *

The school week was soon over and Eyeball has succeeded in ignoring me. We hadn't spoken a word since he coldly broke us off. I was unsure of what was happening, and I hated it!

I couldn't concentrate in school, I was pretty sure I was failing math. And even when Annie and Bev suggested we started our initiation with the new girl, I still couldn't concentrate, not even when she had exceeded my expectations and was now well and truly on her way at becoming a bonafide member of our gang. No matter how much Annie loved her, I still had my doubts.

All I could think about was Eyeball, and how it had been the longest we had ever gone without making up or making out. I started to think that maybe we really were finished this time.

No, I wasn't going to let that happen! Eyeball was mine and I wasn't going to let him get away so easily. But, there was one problem; he needed to see sense and he was so stupid at times that he'd never realize what he had lost. I was the only girl in town to ever give him a chance. The only girl to put up with his stunts. If he was going to be stubborn, I wasn't going to grovel at his feet. No! I needed to get somebody to make him see sense. Trouble was that the only guy in town that Eyeball listened to was Ace Merrill, and me and him didn't exactly see eye to eye. There was no hope in hell that he'd do me a favor, unless it benefited himself...

It was noon on Saturday and I drove around town in search of a black Ford and the devil that drove it.

I soon found it parked outside Jack Mudgett's abode. So I waited patiently, sitting on the trunk of his Ford, fiddling with my purse, or filing my nails. Ace soon appeared from behind the Mudgett's screen door and stepped out of the house, looking nothing but a hoodlum; he wore a plain black t-shirt, his leather jacket hung over his shoulder, and Levi jeans that were snug against the waist, though there wasn't an ounce of fat on him. He carried a stack of boxes, with a lit cigarette between his lips. I watched him walk, observing the way he strode across Jack's yard with a big dose of confidence and arrogance stirred into one.

"Geraldine," he greeted in his not-so-friendly manner.

"Merrill." I smiled, not-so-sweetly.

Ace approached the trunk and me. He looked annoyed, like my presence bugged the hell out of him, maybe it did, or maybe there was something suspicious in one of those boxes that he didn't want any prying eyes to see.

"Eyeball ain't here!" Ace whistled. With the nod of his head he ordered me to get off the trunk and open it for him. Since he had no free hands and I needed him on my side I obliged. Making sure I got a good peek inside an open box as he shoved them inside.

Ace slammed the trunk shut and then tossed his leather jacket inside the car through the window. "And even if he were... he doesn't wanna know. You really pissed him off this time; his left eye's been jerking non-stop like an adolescent boy."

I grimaced at the foul picture he had painted so clearly in my mind. "I'm not here for Eyeball! I'm here for you..."

"Well, cheap knock-off blondes ain't my type." His blue eyes glistened like ice. "But I'll make an exception."

"Not like you and your peroxide hair; I'm a real blonde! Anyway, as tempting as that sounds..." I shuddered. "I need your help."

"What can I do for you, Fletcher? Having a bit of car trouble?" He glanced at my car, and sneered, "I really don't think I can help you with that cotton-candy piece-of-crap."

What was it about a pink car that guys couldn't get their head around? Eyeball always said it looked like a marshmallow.

"I need you to talk to him."

"You're kidding, right?"

"You gotta help me, Ace. You're his pal! Talk to him! He's not answering my calls when he's working, and he's always out when I know he's home. You gotta make him see sense. "

"Do I look like his asshole?"

"Well, he's so far up yours you guys are probably one person by now."

Ace stared blankly at me, not amused, and flicked his cigarette to the ground.

"Come on," I said, with just enough urgency to make me cringe. "Just tell him he made a mistake."

"What's in it for me?" That was typical Ace Merrill right there! Always out for himself.

"The sweet silent satisfaction that you brought two souls back together," I swooned. "I'll give you fifteen dollars."

Ace let out a blood boiling scoff and smirked. "Make it thirty."

"No way!"

"Double or nothin'."

"Twenty dollars!" I glared, and he blinked right back at me. "Come on, meet me halfway!."

He blinked again.

"Fine... thirty," I groaned. My Christmas money was now well and truly pissed down the drain, but if there was only one thing trustworthy about Ace, it was the fact that he eats, breathes, and sleeps for green paper.

I turned and walked back to my car.

"Hold it!" Ace grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. He held his right hand out, his left still on my shoulder. "Half now... and the other when it's done."

"Jesus, what is this?" I shrugged his hold off. "You're making this sound like one of your dodgy deals!"

"It is, isn't it? Otherwise you wouldn't have come to me," he said, with a self-satisfied grin. Putting his left hand in the pocket of his jeans, he remarked, "You know, Eyeball ain't worth two cents, let alone thirty bucks."

"Well, I was only willing to give fifteen."

"Love, huh? Never comes cheap." Ace chuckled. "But, what I really wanna know is, why now? If you came to me every time you and that asshole broke up, I'd be a richer man. So, what's different this time, Deena?" His gaze was cold and serious and for the first time I was confronted with a question I really didn't want to know the answer to.

I ignored his gaze and question, it was a conversation I really wasn't willing to get into right now, especially with the likes of him.

I pulled my purse from underneath my arm and popped it open, pulling out a twenty dollar bill. I looked up to see Ace staring straight inside, the wad of cash rolled inside must've been staring straight at him; his expression resembled a tiger ogling it's prey. I quickly snapped the purse shut and Ace snatched the twenty out of my hand.

"You always walk around with that amount of cash on you?" His eyebrows raised with intrigue as he pocketed my twenty dollars.

"I dunno... do you always have stolen car radios in the trunk of your car?"

Ace scoffed, "Nice doing business with ya... Now, get the hell out of my way." He pushed me away with two fingers, gently, but with a firmness only he could execute. And walked to the side of his car, ready to make a fast escape.

I huffed, "I'm waiting for my five bucks!"

"I'm keeping it," he said with a low growl, sliding into his car, and slamming the door shut. "See ya 'round."

The engine roared and a cloud of dust was sent my way as the tires hit dried mud, and he sped off.

* * *

It was a little after one o'clock when I walked into the diner. It was busy enough, but Annie and Bev had still managed to score us our booth. The sound of dishes clattering together could still be heard over the jukebox. Half of the Junior High's football team crowded a table, probably discussing the events of last nights pep rally. I noticed Bev eyeing up one of the Linebackers, her green eyes peeking out from the newest romance novel she was reading.

"Where have you been, Deena?" Annie asked, once I reached the booth.

"Around," I replied. I wasn't going to tell the girls about my deal with Ace. After all would they have even believed it? I just hoped that ruffian was holding up his part of the bargain.

I waited for Bev to get out of her seat and let me take the spot by the window, once she did I reclaimed my place.

Annie sat on the other side twirling her chocolate malt with a straw.

"You missed the most epic road-race that ever graced the highway," Bev said, sitting back down. She held a cigarette in one hand and the book in the other.

"I very much doubt that," I sneered. "Anyway, how'd she do?"

"Well, she passed." Bev shrugged, her eyes reading a paragraph of romance. "But...it was less than pretty. She's in the ladies room cleaning the grease from her dress."

"We're now a foursome!" Annie squealed in her seat, with such enthusiasm that I could have slapped her from across the table. "I really think Faye's gonna fit right in. Well, after a make-over and a lesson in hair care or two."

Faye! That was her name.

"Cool it!" I snapped. "The initiation still isn't over! She still has one dare left." I yanked the cigarette from Bev's fingers and took a draw. "And it's the best one yet!"

Me and Bev sniggered together.

Faye soon returned to the table. I looked down at her red dress, it was riddled with stains. She didn't look the least bit pleased, no doubt her folks would kill her for getting what looked like a new dress dirty.

"Not used to car culture in Castle Rock?" I smirked. "Grease and gasoline come with the territory, you'll soon get used to it. What they drive over there in Oklahoma? Horse and carriages?"

"Pretty much," she replied, sitting down next to Annie who took it as an invitation to fix up Faye's hair.

I rolled my eyes. "Would you leave the poor girl alone?"

Annie grumbled, a bobby-pin between her teeth, "Well, she's nearly one of us now and that means her 'do' has to be the center of the universe." She took the pin out of her mouth and slipped it in Faye's hair. "Perfect!"

"Annie can do wonders with hair," Bev explained to Faye who looked like a deer in headlights. "She can make you go from a Raggedy Ann Doll to the epitome of style and grace."

"Or from a bee to a hive," I mocked, leaning back in my seat. "So, the girls were pretty impressed with what you did in school on Friday."

"Yeah, it was classic." Bev grinned. "You shoulda seen Bitch Brown and the janitor trying to open the door... What did you block it with?"

"I stacked two desks on top of each other," Faye answered with a shrug.

"You must have more brawn than brains!" I remarked.

"Oh, no! They weren't heavy. But when you stack them together, it makes it pretty impossible to get in."

"Sounds like you've done it before?"

"No!" her reply was a little hasty. "I saw it on an episode of Dragnet, I think."

"You watch Dragnet?" Annie gasped, looking horrified.

"My brother watches it," she answered. She smiled when Annie breathed a sigh of relief. "To be honest, that dare wasn't that hard. I found egging the Cadillac worse."

"Yeah, well, Mr. Bennett is psychic," Bev giggled. "He always knows when someone, or something, touches his car."

"He almost caught up with me... I thought I was in for another detention."

"The thrill is in the chase!" I said, stubbing Bev's cigarette out in the ashtray beside her.

"You don't think he knew it was me?"

"Oh, no," Annie reassured. "His eyesight is _real_ bad."

"That explains the dents on the bonnet..." Faye murmured.

"So?" I bit my lip. "You ready for the last part of our initiation?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "This is the one you came up with?"

"Yep!" I popped my lips together. "And it's the best one... if you want to chicken out we'll understand, won't we girls?"

Annie and Bev giggled.

She looked worried, wary over Bev and Annie's reaction. "What is it?"

I leaned into the table and we all huddled together. "You have to stand at the diner door and wait for the next guy to walk in, and then you shove your tongue down his throat."

"No offence," Faye laughed. "But that doesn't sound too hard."

The smile on my lips faded. Who did this chick think she was? "It has to be the next guy who walks in. You can't back out no matter who it is, even if it's Mayor Clifton!"

"Oh," she gulped. "And you've all done this?"

"Yeah, I had to lock lips with Daryl Sweeney." Bev shuddered, the memory still in her mind. "And Annie had to kiss Billy Tessio!"

"Don't remind me!" Annie shrieked, her cheeks turning a shade of maroon. "That was the most embarrassing moment of my life! Well, apart from when my hair exploded..."

"Oh, come on! You've been in love with him ever since you were out of diapers! It could have been worse; you coulda kissed Charlie Hogan! He did walk in with him," I said, watching as Annie buried her face in her hands.

"You have no idea who those guys are, do you?" Bev asked, noticing Faye's confusion.

Faye shook her head.

"Believe me... that's a good thing!" I told her, jealous over the fact that she had been blessed without the knowledge of The Cobras existence.

"It wasn't the kissing that was embarrassing, it was the declaration of love I had to give right before!" Annie said, her face finally out of her hands.

"Declaration?" Faye's eyes widened.

I chuckled. Now the dare didn't seem so easy! "You have to grab him by the collar of his shirt and say, 'I can't stop thinking about you! The way you make me feel is indescribable... I can only imagine what it feels like to kiss you.'"

Faye snorted. "Where did you get that from?"

"One of Bevvy's novels!" I laughed.

"So," Faye said, tucking a loose hair behind her ear. "Who did you have to kiss?" she asked eagerly.

"A lady never kiss and tells!"

Bev and Annie exchanged a glance and sniggered.

I looked at the clock on the wall and smirked. Any minute now, my plan would be put in place.

"Are you in?" I asked.

"I've come this far! No point in backing out now, right?" Faye's eyes lingered over to the football team.

"What you waiting for?" I taunted, giving her the push she needed.

She glanced at Bev and then Annie, who both smiled and nodded their heads keenly. Annie gave her a confident nudge on her side with an elbow.

"Well, here it goes!" she breathed, standing up.

I smiled, my eyes following her as she walked to the door.

"Keep your eyes firmly on the door, ladies." I turned back to the table. "This is gonna be good."

"Why do I get the feeling that you know something we don't?" Bev asked.

"Look at the clock! It's time for Milo Pressman to come in and get his lunch... Except this time he's in for a bit of a surprise."

"Milo Pressman?" Bev gulped, turning a shade of green. "Gee, that's a fate worse than death."

"But..." Annie trailed. "How do you know he'll come in?"

"He's always in at this time! And look around, everyone that's the least bit cute is already here."

"True. Anyone else that walks through that door is just gonna be old!" Annie shuddered. "Poor Faye, she's definitely gonna bail."

Good!

When the clock struck quarter past, I looked out of the window. Sure enough, Milo Pressman had just parked across the street and was crossing the road, ready to make his grand entrance. I looked at Faye, who was none the wiser about who she was about to lock lips with. The grin on my face widened; this was going to be good. Either Faye would call it quits and give up, or she'd do the unthinkable and embarrass herself in front of half of the football team and half of the town!

"What's taking him so long?" I grunted, when the diner door didn't open. He couldn't possibly walk that slow. He was fat, but he wasn't a turtle!

I looked back out of the window and couldn't believe my luck, or lack of! Ace Merrill's Ford was stopped in the middle of the road, and Milo Pressman was currently having a conniption fit at him through his window.

"What in the hell?" I cursed. I said it once and I'll say it again... that bleached blonde greaser was nothing but a pain in my backside!

"Uh-oh!" I heard Bev mutter, underneath the sound of the diner bell jangling. If it wasn't Milo Pressman stepping through the door, then who was it? I turned to look, and my mouth gaped open, the grin that had been on my lips moments before was now well and truly gone.

It was Eyeball!

* * *

 _ **Dun-dun-duh!  
There may be trouble ahead...**_

 _ **CastleRockGirl's chapter coming soon.**_

 _ **Reviews are very much appreciated!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys, here's the next chapter! Thanks to Izout and Entangler for their reviews on my last chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy this one. Please review and let us know what you think :)

* * *

 _ **Business of Misery**_

* * *

 _ **Faye**_

 _ **4**_

* * *

It was only a few days later that I realised there was more to my new friends than I had been initially made aware of.

"Pssst... Pssst."

My head turned in the direction of the persistent sound beside me, meeting the curious green eyes of the girl that sat beside me. She hadn't been in most of the week, today was her first day back, a Friday which I had to give her some credit for.

"Hey, you're the new girl, right?"

"Right," I replied in a whisper. "Faye."

"I'm Jane," she greeted with a warm smile. "How are you settling in?"

She seemed nice, like she honestly cared and wasn't just being nosy. "Okay, actually. My first day was a bit rocky but I made friends pretty quickly. These girls invited me to sit with them at lunch and since then we've been hanging out."

"Great!" she replied, a little loudly and we both ducked our heads as our history teacher's head shot up from her book. I quickly found my place in the textbook and continued copying the notes. "Which girls? Maybe I'll know them," she pressed.

"Deena, Annie and Beverly." I froze at her sudden intake of breath at my words and turned to stare at her in concern. She didn't look too thrilled. "What?" I asked hesitantly.

She shook herself, recovering from her state of shock. "It's just... I never figured those girls for taking in an outsider so easily."

"Outsider?" I repeated, a little hurt. I realised I was new, but she said it like I'd landed from another planet.

She reached out a comforting hand to my arm and shook her head vigorously, a look of apology on her face. "Oh, I didn't mean that to sound so rude. I just meant they're very cliquey. They hardly talk to anyone else and they're very close-knit. It's just surprising, is all."

That softened the previous remark a little and I shrugged to show I had let it go. "Well, Annie has been nothing but nice to me. I like them."

She arched an eyebrow. "So... you'll probably be joining their gang then?"

"What gang?"

She abandoned her notes and leaned in. "The Viper Dolls."

"What?"

Her expression turned sympathetic at my confusion. "It's kind of a link to the gang of hoodlums they hang about with. They called themselves "the Cobraettes" for a while but then they changed it- that was probably on Ace Merrill's insistence."

My confusion got even worse as I stared at her. "Ace? Merrill?"

"My God! They really didn't tell you anything!" she breathed. "Listen, you didn't hear it from me... but those girls are bad news! Then again, so is anyone who even associates with the Cobras. Ace Merrill is a complete and utter thug- and so are his friends! Trust me, you don't want to get involved with them."

I stayed silent, processing her caution, and she looked at me eagerly waiting for a response that would satisfy so I gave it. "Gee, I had no idea. Thanks for the warning, I guess."

"No problem," she replied. "Feel free to hang out with me and my friends anytime."

Before I could reply the teacher located the source of the chatter and cleared her throat in annoyance. Jane and I quickly got back to our notes. When class was over I hurriedly packed and rushed from the room before Jane could follow, not really sure if I wanted to take her up on her invitation or not.

"Hey, Doll," Annie greeted at lunch as she sat down beside me. Deena and Bev not far behind. "What's up?"

"Nothing," I sighed. "Just tired! Friday always seem to drag."

"Well, we have something that should make things more exciting for you," Bev said with a smirk.

I looked at Annie who grinned widely, and then Deena who was slumped against the chair, sulking. Deena had been in a foul mood ever since my first day of school. I wasn't sure why but Annie had mentioned something about 'boy trouble' one morning and left it at that.

"We think you should become an official member of our group."

"Group?" I feigned confusion. I doubted they'd take my conversation with Jane too kindly.

"The Viper Dolls," Annie answered. "You in?"

"I guess. How do I join?" Some part of me thought I was crazy after what Jane had told me, but then again, it was better I found out things for myself rather than go off what she said.

"That's the fun part," Annie continued, almost as if they had rehearsed it. "We have some little... challenges for you."

Uh oh.

My face must have given away my worry because out of her pouting Deena laughed, "They're just silly little dares! Nothing that'll get you in too much trouble...as long as you're careful."

I breathed out a sigh. "How many are there?"

"We have three worked out for you, and you have to come up with one of your own," Bev explained.

"Yours is up first and if you don't pass we can't let you join," Deena warned. "It needs to be original, and creative."

I slumped a little in my chair. I sighed, my eyes wandering as I tried to think of something I could do that would be both original and creative. My eyes met the gaze of someone else a few tables over, and I tried to discreetly return the wave they had enthusiastically greeted me with.

"How do you know Jane Quinn?" It seemed my actions didn't go unnoticed. I looked back at Deena, her eyes narrowed, and she was far from pleased.

"She sat next to me in history today. She's nice."

"A little too goody-goody for my taste," Deena replied, wrinkling her nose in disapproval. "She's probably going to try and wrestle in on our business; she's the nosiest girl in town! But what happens in the gang, stays in the gang. Right?"

"Of course," I agreed. "I'm gonna go for a walk, and I'll meet you guys out by the trees for a smoke in a while." They all nodded, and I packed up my lunch and headed for the door, leaning against the wall when I got outside.

What was I gonna do?

On the one hand, I knew better than anyone that gossip in a school thrives like cockroaches under a rock, so whatever Jane said about the girls I would take with a pinch of salt. But then again, if what she said was true then they weren't being very honest with me, which was wrong. I found myself walking back towards the main building as I made up my mind, it couldn't hurt to go along with things and see how it went. What did I have to lose anyway?

Coming out of the bathroom a few minutes later, I jumped in surprise. The teacher from the other day, Ms. Brown was her name if I remembered correctly, was marching down the hall. Her eyes zeroed in on me and she increased her speed.

"Miss Reeves, would you care to explain why you are not at lunch?" she asked, giving me the once over.

I bit my lip trying to think of an excuse. "I didn't feel well, Miss. I didn't want to be sick in front of the other girls in the canteen."

Rather than any kind of sympathy or understanding, she merely pursed her lips and held out her hand. I stared at her in bewilderment until she clarified, "Purse!"

Reluctantly I swung my satchel off my arm and deposited it in her waiting hand, and stood with my arms folded as she rummaged inside. She wouldn't find anything, I had the sense after Annie's little accident to make sure I didn't have any makeup or cigarettes on me, not that I had many of either.

"Ah ha," she triumphed and pulled out an item she seemed worthy of confiscating. "Care to explain?"

"It's a hairbrush..." I deadpanned. The small purple flat-brush seemed innocent to me, but she held it at arms length with her lips shriveled in a disgusted manner.

"It's something a student does not need to have on her. No lady should be spending her hours in this institution preening and fixing at herself. I will be taking this and leaving it in my office. And if you're on your best behavior you can collect it on Monday."

She held my satchel back out to me and I fixed it on my shoulders with a glare; the woman had it out for me, I knew it.

I watched with narrow eyes as she walked off back down the hall holding the brush. I ducked into an empty classroom as she re-emerged a minute later and continued on her original path past me. When the clicking of her heels faded I snuck up the hallway towards the room she had exited, peeking through the door I saw a small office, two desks facing each other surrounded by some filing cabinets and various boxes. One desk was labeled as Brown's, the other the school receptionist.

I jogged across the grass to meet the girls, who lounged in their usual spot.

"Well?" Deena's smirked and I matched her with a grin of my own.

I joined them on the grass, taking my pack of cigarettes from the waistband of my skirt and grabbing Annie's lighter. "I have an idea..."

* * *

"Sir, can I please go to the nurse's office? I don't feel too well."

The English teacher waved me off, continuing on the passage he was reading from. I quickly made eye contact with Annie as I exited the class with my bag in tow, shutting the door before jogging down the hallway. I tried keeping my steps light as I passed the classrooms filled with students counting down the minutes until the weekend.

Finding a radio in a school is no easy task, turns out I had to use my remaining lunchtime to sneak into the girls' changing rooms near the gym where one radio was kept for the students to listen to as they changed. The gym teacher was apparently lenient enough to let them get away with it, so it stayed up there year round, covered by a towel so it wouldn't get picked up.

Thanks to the girls' instructions I found it easily, crossing back down to the main hallway and avoiding some teachers walking about. The nurse's office was on the second floor, so I had only a few minutes to get out of Brown's office and up to the second floor, all without being seen.

I scrambled through the door of the office when I saw it was clear, Ms. Brown and the receptionist both were luckily out. The receptionist was probably taking her lunch right about now, but Brown could be anywhere, so I had to be quick.

I grabbed the radio and began to tune it as I walked up to the receptionist's desk, grabbing the microphone which had a small button that allowed the speaker to send a message through to every classroom in the school.

Oh, I had a message alright.

I slid open the window at the back of the room to make sure I could get out, before clearing the stuff from both desks onto the floor as quietly as I could, lifting one to stack it on top of the other. One thing about being from a farm, I was used to heavy lifting.

When the two desks successfully barricaded anyone from getting in, and also blocked the window in the door so no one could see me escape, I turned the radio onto one of the popular stations, raising the volume as the announcer's cheery voice signaled the beginning of another song.

 _"Alright guys and gals let's get excited for the weekend, huh? Here's one for all you kids finishing school, one of my person favourites, Eddie Cochran with C'mon Everybody, iiiit'sssss boss!"_

I gave it a few chords before I held my breath, setting a paperweight on the talk button on the microphone which now sat on a filing cabinet, and I held the radio right over beside it. Soon the music echoed down the halls and I could hear it from the classrooms across the way.

Yes!

I quickly slid out the window and closed it, ducking under the other windows as I ran down the side of the school and through the side entrance. Luckily it was located right next to a stairwell, and I had just enough time to stick my head out and see several teachers making their way towards the office with looks of fury and annoyance, their open classroom doors only increasing the volume and kids began to laugh and cheer at the music.

Ha! Good luck turning it off.

I ran up the stairs, sliding to a finish at the nurse's office as other classroom doors upstairs were now being flung open, the teachers in there no doubt pissed at the noise.

"You cant just walk in!" The nurse scolded as I closed the door behind me, she had to shout over the music as there was also a speaker in her office.

"Sorry!" I apologised. "I've been knocking, but no answer!"

She rolled her eyes towards the speakers and beckoned me over. "I couldn't hear, some little smart-ass has hooked up the sound system to a hi-fi or something. I told them that thing was going to backfire on us some day!"

"I've been sick all day. I got out of English and had to go to the bathroom before I came up here. I think I have a bug or something." Of course that was a lie, but I figured if I was questioned on anything I could mention Brown meeting me after the toilets earlier. The nurse got me to sit up on the table and put a thermometer to my lips just as the door opened, and she threw her arms up at the figure who entered.

"Bob! I am with a student! This is a private room!"

Just as she finished shouting the music shut off and the school was once again silent, except for sounds of disappointment from a few classrooms and teachers bellowing for the students to be quiet. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "You didn't see anyone out of class while this happened? How long has she been here?" He pointed at me.

Before I could speak the nurse waved her hand at him, plucking the thermometer from my mouth and reading it. "She came up before the music started, and she has a temperature. I'm going to get her a cold compress, can you please make yourself useful and make sure we don't have anymore impromptu outbursts while she's trying to rest?!"

The man flushed in embarrassment before shutting the door, mumbling as he continued down the hall.

"That man needs to learn some manners, can't just come walking in here. In a school full of girls no less, you could have been half undressed!"

"Lucky it's just an upset stomach," I offered, she breathed a sigh and gestured for me to lie down. "It's probably from the stress of my first week."

"Well, don't let the music fool you, this place is nothing to get yourself sick over. I'll be back in a minute with some water you can take a few pills for that temperature, you look a little flushed. After that, I can send you home or you can lie here for the rest of the period and go back to your next class?"

I weighed up both options. "Think I'll go back to class, but thanks."

She nodded, and left the room to get what she needed. I laughed in the empty space, a smile of triumph lighting my cheeks.

One dare down, three to go!

* * *

Turns out my dare was probably the easiest. Bev's was to egg the car of a teacher who gave her detention for smoking the week before. And staying under the radar after the radio incident whilst also evading capture after egging a car is damn near impossible. Annie's consisted of a race outside of town, in a beat up car that belonged to her Uncle. It was all going smoothly until the engine overheated and I had to check the radiator and make sure it wasn't going to die on us in the middle of nowhere.

So now I stood in the local diner with engine grease splattered on my dress, which would take some hard scrubbing to get out, even if it would come out. It wasn't that I didn't have more dresses, I just couldn't let them suffer the same fate as my favourite red one.

I thought that would be the worst of them all. But then Deena joined us and she revealed her dare.

And it was bad.

It involved a kiss, to be precise it involved me shoving my tongue down a strangers throat, which wouldn't be that bad if the diner wasn't full of teenage boys in Letterman jackets who would all see. What if I could end up smooching an old man with bad breath or with a few missing teeth?

Or it could be someone around Dawson's age, maybe even someone in his school, and neither he nor I would ever live it down in that case. I prayed for someone around my own age, who wouldn't backhand me across the face after I did it. Part of me wanted to back out, and another part forced me to stay rooted to the spot, I'd be damned if I'd made it through everything just to give up now.

So I waited, twisting my fingers into the sides of my dress as my knees started to knock a little. Maybe it'd be an hour till someone else came into the diner, I'd be standing here ages.

Uh-oh.

An older man walked across the street, his face and chest slick with sweat, the thin wife beater dirty with grime over his grease-stained dungarees. He was unaware of the fact I was standing behind the door, he pulled off his trucker cap to wipe at his brow and then his upper lip. Kill me now...he was heading straight to the diner! This had better be worth it.

I was so focused on the guy I didn't notice until around the same time he did that a Ford was fast approaching, screeching to a stop in the middle of the road only a few inches from the man's path. He jumped backwards with his arms flailing, only just managing to save himself from falling. He threw his cap on the ground in frustration and marched around to the driver's window, cursing and hollering for all he was worth.

I saw someone slip out of the passenger side, and scurry to the door. And a second later when he had crossed the threshold I realised I knew the guy.

It was the boy from school.

Maybe if I only had to kiss him it wouldn't be so bad, or if I didn't know him my following words may have given a clear indication that this was a joke. But his eyes met mine and recognition flashed across his face, before his eyebrows knitted together as he took in my no-doubt terrified expression.

"Wh-"

"I-I can't stop thinking about you," I began, my face already felt like it was on fire. "The way you make me feel is, um, indescribable. I can only imagine what it feels like to kiss you." I should kill Deena for thinking up this dialogue.

Throughout my speech his face got increasingly shocked, his brow creasing in confusion, and I figured it was now or never. Had it been anybody but him I would have been fine, but now I just wanted to crawl into a hole, but there was no turning back.

I grabbed the front of his shirt-thankful he was at least wearing one this time- and all but crashed my lips to his.

It wasn't by any means the most natural of kisses, our teeth clicked and I almost knocked him off balance with how forcefully I had thrown myself against him, his hands braced my sides as he stopped both of us basically falling through the door. He didn't push me away, but that was most definitely out of bewilderment. Maybe he was just waiting for me to explain what the hell I was doing.

I gave it a couple of seconds so it at least looked like a decent kiss before pulling away, backing out of his grip and clasping my hands behind my back in embarrassment. If only he wasn't blocking the exit, I'd have made a run for it.

"Sorry," I muttered, face flaming. Turning on my heel I ran down the length of the counter towards the bathroom. Ignoring the wolf-whistles and howls coming from the group of guys in the corner.

Once I was safe I locked myself in a stall and leaned against the door, my chest heaving, and hands shaking. What the hell did I just do?


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Hey! Katy here. So sorry about the late update, life's been a little hectic lately. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and maybe leave us a review on what you think of it. Shout out to Izout and Entangler for reviewing my last chapter...you rock! Enjoy!

* * *

 _ **Business of Misery**_

* * *

 _ **Deena**_

 _ **5**_

* * *

I watched with narrow eyes as Eyeball leaned back in surprise when Faye forcefully threw herself at him. Her fingers grabbed his shirt, her mouth stuck on his. I could only sit and watch as Eyeball grabbed her sides when she shoved her tongue down his throat. My hands balled into fists, my nails dug into the skin of my palms, and I silently seethed. I had to restrain myself from bolting over there and yanking her off of him! After all, I had a reputation to protect.

After what seemed like an eternity Faye released her hold and quickly dashed across the diner, making a beeline for the ladies room.

Eyeball, the idiot that he was, stood at the door. With his eye twitching, he scratched the back of his head in confusion.

Ace Merrill strolled in not long after and pushed Eyeball out of his way. I suddenly remembered that this was all his fault; whatever he had done had stopped Milo Pressman from walking straight through the door! He gave Eyeball an order with the nudge of his elbow, and they casually walked over to the diner counter.

I turned my attention back to the girls. "What are you doing, Annie? Don't just sit there and gawk! Go get our newest member from whatever stall she has locked herself in," I growled, folding my arms. Ignoring the burning hatred that ignited through my body. "And get the waitress to bring me a coke."

"But...you mean she's still part of the gang?" Annie asked in amazement.

"A dare's a dare, right?" I shrugged, ushering her away with my hand. "Go!"

Annie didn't have to be asked again and she quickly fluttered through the diner.

"Order me some fries too," Bev called after her. "Hot damn!" she whistled turning back to me. "I wasn't expecting that!"

"Me neither," I said through gritted teeth. "This is all Merrill's fault! If it wasn't for _him..._ my plan would have worked!"

"Maybe, it was for the best," Bev shrugged. "If she had kissed Milo Pressman, she would've needed a cootie shot!"

"Instead she shoved her tongue down my boyfriend's throat!"

Bev, who was always the voice of reason, remarked, "You had broken-up! It's not like she knew who he was! And Eyeball didn't exactly know what was going on!" Well, he didn't exactly push her away either! But - Bev was right - I couldn't hold it against Faye, no matter how much I wanted to.

I sunk back into my seat and looked over at Ace and Eyeball. They held a quick conversation, which involved Eyeball sniggering like a child. Ace soon got bored and left Eyeball to his thoughts - not that he had any! Eyeball soon began to fix his hair, combing the back, then sides, before starting on the front. I rolled my eyes; when it came to hair care he was just as bad as Annie.

I scanned the room for Ace and found him at the football team's table. He looked nothing but out of place; leather jackets were replaced with Letterman's. I doubted they'd take too kindly to a greaser joining them. But Ace wasn't there for the Letterman jacket, he was there for the blonde that sat next to a Cornerback. Ace sat next to her and he whispered into her ear something shocking - or as I suspected...a bunch of bull-crap - and she giggled, completely oblivious to the annoyed Jock sitting beside her. Not Merrill though, I was pretty sure he knew just how much of a nuisance he was being. Every giggle that escaped her lips angered the jock even more and I smirked, in about ten seconds he'd really teach Ace a lesson or two in diner etiquette; those football players had more brawn then brains!

"Hey, girls," Eyeball greeted. His voice loud and cocky like always. If he thought for one second that I was going to talk to him he had another thing coming. "How's it hanging?"

I turned and looked at him with my nose firmly in the air, letting him know I wasn't the least bit pleased.

He'd have to do some serious groveling if he wanted me back.

I could've killed Bev when she slipped out of her seat and he quickly claimed her place. He squashed against me, swinging his arm around my shoulders.

I looked away, glancing back at Ace and the Cornerback.

Ace stood up and the jock - looking like he was going to tackle him to the ground - quickly followed his lead. Ace turned to face him and gave him a smug smile. He still had the smile even when the jock grabbed him by his shirt collar and yanked him closer. Ace held his hands up, as if to say, 'I ain't here for trouble, but if you want to start something that's fine by me'.

"Shit," Eyeball sighed. "He's been itching for fights lately."

"When isn't he?" I scoffed, forgetting that I was giving him the silent treatment. "Shouldn't you be over there!" I spat bitterly.

"Ace can look after himself," he grunted. "He can take that guy!"

"And the rest of the team?"

"Since when do you care?"

"I don't!" I quickly replied. Ace could wind up in Castle Rock's Infirmary for all I cared.

As soon as the Cornerback had sized Ace up, he had quickly released his hold and backed down. It seemed like maybe Ace was more trouble than he was worth. Or was it the switchblade pocking out of his Levi's that warned him off?

Ace fixed the collar of his shirt, before he left the table. I saw the blonde slip him a piece of paper, and he tucked it inside his shirt pocket. I rolled my eyes, watching as he smoothly walked away and made his way over. He made himself comfortable next to Bev; who had now taken Annie's spot.

The waitress finally brought over our order and I quickly snatched up my coke, whilst Bev made a move for her fries.

"What the hell was that, man?" Eyeball said, eyeing Ace up. "Why didn't you pound that guy?" he mumbled, helping himself to a handful of Bev's fries.

"You see the way he backed down? He's a pussy," Ace replied. "I don't fight pussies."

"Nah, you just fuck 'em," Eyeball laughed.

"Urgh!" I grimaced.

"Jeez! Chill out, doll. It was just a joke," he replied, massaging the nape of my neck with his right hand. Even though his touch felt like home, I was still mad at him.

"Well." I nudged him away. "You and I must have different ideas on what's a hoot."

"That's why ya love me."

"So...You kiss another girl? And, suddenly, all is right with the world?"

"I did come in here to talk to ya." He shrugged, fidgeting in his seat. "But, I figure we're about even now, baby," he grinned, beginning to nuzzle my neck with his nose.

Damn, he sure knew my weaknesses! And I almost forgot I was angry at him until I swatted him away with my hand.

"Can you at least wash your mouth out with bleach?" I huffed, crossing my arms.

"That I can do," he smirked, grabbing my coke from the table and downing half the bottle. "You know what they put in this shit? It's lethal," he said clicking his teeth. He slammed the bottle back on the table and laughed his annoying laugh, "Mwhahaha!"

"Stick to drinking a cold brew..." Ace proclaimed after he had lit Bev's cigarette for her and then flicked the lighter shut. "Anything else is just like drinking tar."

"With the amount of beer you drink, Merrill! You're probably a walking, talking nuclear bomb!" I sighed.

Me and Ace shared a playful smirk. As much as I loathed him - and he despised me - we still shared the same enjoyment in ranking out one another.

"Eyeball, you should tame that bitch of yours...her mouth is getting bigger by the minute!" Ace leaned back in his seat. He slung his arm over Bev's shoulders, his fingers laced over her chest.

I sent Ace a not-so-sweet smile.

From the corner of my eye I noticed Annie saunter through the joint; she was alone. She came to a stop at our table, and her eyes lingered on Ace, then on Eyeball, unsure of where to sit. On one hand she'd have to sit next to me and Eyeball making out, and on the other...next to an intimidating, loathsome, tyrant! She chose the former easily.

"So, where's the newest Viper Doll?" Bev asked, her cheeks flushing from Ace's touch.

"You girls sound like a _real_ threat with that name!" Eyeball snorted. "I guess it's better than The Cobratits-"

"Cobraettes, you idiot!" I spat.

Annie ignored us both and answered Bev, "She had to meet her Uncle. Something about being shown the ropes...whatever that means." I wouldn't complain, having the chick who kissed my man at our table - with him sat next to me - was just a stretch too far. Annie glanced at Eyeball and giggled, "I think she was just a little embarrassed."

"That's a shame," Ace drawled. "I was hoping to meet the chick who shoved her tongue down this greaseballs' throat."

"The ladies just can't get enough of me," Eyeball smirked with pride. "Ain't that right, babe?"

I reached out and grabbed my coke. "You want the rest of this poured down your hair?"

It quickly shut him up.

"Who's the new recruitment?" Ace asked, taking the cigarette from Bev's fingers and taking a draw.

"Just some girl from Oklahoma," I quickly answered. Before Bev and Annie could sing her praises. "No one special!"

"Who? That country chick?" Ace raised his eyebrows. "Thought you had class, Fletcher."

"I do, which is why..." I began, then realised he had no business in knowing Faye. "How do you know about her, anyway?"

"Her brother's been sniffing around me," he replied, glancing at Eyeball. "Little shit thinks he's got what it takes to be a Cobra!"

"I bet you told him straight!" Eyeball sniggered.

"After he cleans up the junkyard," Ace said, gently placing the cigarette back in Bev's mouth; she blushed wildly.

"We don't let dweebs in our pack!" Eyeball declared.

"Oh, really?" I toyed. "Then why are you in?"

Eyeball responded by giving me a good hard kiss on the lips. And just as I was beginning to get into it, he pulled away. "That answer enough for ya? Or do you want more?"

"Maybe..."

"Will you keep it together," Bev warned. "Before you get us all kicked out for unsociable behavior!"

"Ricky's face alone is just enough to get us kicked out!" I teased.

"That's it!" Eyeball grabbed my coke from my hand and began to tip it slowly over my dress.

"Stop it!" I squealed.

"Shut the hell up," Ace interrupted. "Before I get an earache."

Eyeball quickly listened.

I sunk back in my seat. Annoyed at how Eyeball could be such a lapdog when Ace was concerned.

"You want some fries, Deena?" Bev asked, pushing her plate towards me.

"I'm watching my figure," I sighed, pushing it back. I was beginning to look more like the Michelin man than Jayne Mansfield these days. Binge eating on candy from a broken-heart was doing nothing for me - or my waist.

"I'll take 'em!" Eyeball quickly grabbed for the plate.

I watched him wolf the rest down, like a feral dog. "You're disgusting!"

"What?" he mumbled with a mouthful of fries. "You don't want 'em. I take 'em!"

"Chambers' way of living, huh?" Ace smoothly said.

Eyeball gripped my side. So tight, I could tell Ace's remark had hurt him. But - like he always did - he let it slide.

"You busy tonight, darlin'?" Ace asked Bev. His fingers raised from her chest and began to stroke the side of her neck.

"No..." she smiled coyly.

"How 'bout we see a movie?"

I scoffed. His idea of a movie didn't involve a flicker show.

"Sure!"

"She can't!" I spat. "Annie's ratting her hair tonight!"

Annie squealed in her seat; the opportunity of ratting ones hair didn't come around too often.

Bev looked at me with disappointment. Did I really have to remind her about what happens when you hang around with a snake? She was my best friend and she deserved better than becoming one of Ace's many conquests. What kind of friend would I be if I let her get swept away by his charms?

"Shame," Ace whistled. "You change your mind...you know where to find me."

"At the nearest dog pound?" I quipped.

"With your mother at the five-and-dime," he said with a smile as cold as ice.

I gasped; he had taken it way too far!

Eyeball started to laugh and I gave him a quick elbow to his side.

"My mother would not be caught dead in a five-and-dime! Let alone with you, Merrill!" I replied.

"Wanna make that a bet?"

"You can't afford my stake!"

"Oh, I think I can," he replied. His smile now sinister. "I'm about to come into some money." I didn't doubt for a second that he meant _my_ money. But, if that lowlife dimwit thought I was going to uphold our deal, he had another thing coming.

He gave me a look that dared me to bite back and reply. But all I could do was let out an unladylike grunt and sink back in my seat.

Eyeball scratched the back of his head and moaned, "Shit! You guys fight more than my Ma and Pa. Anyone would think that yous are a married couple."

"What the fuck you saying, Chambers?" Ace asked.

"Nothing, man. It's just...I'd like my best pal and my girl to get along, you know?" He shrugged.

There was a strange silence at our table, that nobody - not even Annie - wanted to break. The hustle and bustle of the diner seemed to quieten down, making it one hell of an awkward place to be.

"I gotta go to work," Eyeball finally spoke. "Boss will hitch a fit if I don't show."

"But-" I began.

"If I'm any later, I'll be lugging boxes down to Lewiston and back the whole weekend," he sighed. "And I ain't doing that."

"You only just got here," I whined. "And we got a lot of making up to do!"

"Making out, you mean," Bev sniggered.

I sent her a quick glance to warn her off.

"Some of us gotta make a living, babe," Eyeball shrugged.

"Can't all live off mommy and daddy's trust fund," Ace smirked, his eyes staring straight through me.

"For once in your life, Merrill..." I growled. "...Can it!"

"Ooo!" he chuckled. "I think I hit a nerve, Eyeball. What do you think?"

"Cool it, man!" he sighed. "I gotta go." He hawked himself up, and slid up and over the booth behind us.

"Hey! Watch it!" A guy from behind cried. His voice familiar, but I couldn't place. "What do you think you're doing?"

I didn't dare look back. When it came to the trouble Eyeball got himself into I stayed way out of it.

"Bite me, asshole!" Eyeball growled back.

"That's not cool, man," the voice replied calm and rationally, worlds away from Eyeball's wild temper.

Ace suddenly sat up straight, telling me that he knew who the guy was and that they didn't exactly see eye to eye. "Hey, Lachance," he hollered. "Shouldn't you be yapping about touchdowns and passes with the rest of the jockstraps at table nine."

I heard Eyeball's heehaw laugh, "Mwhahaha!"

I should've known they were hassling Denny Lachance, not only by the soothing sound of his voice, but by their burning resentment towards him. Denny was the coolest guy around. The best Quarterback this town had ever seen in fifty years. His talents stretched far and wide, way beyond the playing field. The only talent Ace and Eyeball had was who cold hold their liquor the longest - Ace beat that record by a mile.

"I'm just trying to have a lunch with my girl, Ace," Denny warned. "Don't try and start somethin'."

"I wouldn't even waste my breath," Ace drawled, leaning back. His attention no longer on Denny, but on someone else; Bev.

I turned and looked behind. The table itself looked like a massacre, remains of what used to be a chocolate milkshake was now spewed all over the tablecloth and on Jane Quinn's purse - thanks to Eyeball no doubt.

"Hi, Denny," I smiled sweetly at him. "Jane," I said, the same sweet smile dissolving from my lips.

"Deena," Denny replied. The tufts of his hair stood out in the sunlight, those dreamy biceps of his peaking out of his polo shirt. He sent me a look that said, 'What are you doing hanging around with those jerks?' and that was enough to make me turn back around.

I looked at Eyeball, who had sat back down next to Ace. Eyeball had seemingly forgotten he had somewhere to be. The two were in a conversation that me, Bev and Annie had grown accustomed to over the past two years.

"He thinks he's Clark 'fucking' Gable," Eyeball spat, gritting his words. "Just cause he holds the record for furthest throw, don't mean he is somethin'. I can shoot a load further than he can a pass a Pigskin, that's for sure"

"Now, now, Eyeball. You should know not to mess with a Southern Gentleman," Ace mocked. "Why he's the apple of the town's eye."

"Yeah, just 'cause he got his name and picture in the Town Hall, it's nothin' special," Eyeball snickered. "They stick anybody up there. They'd even shove my face up there," he said. Noticing Ace's raised eyebrows, he quickly back-tracked. "Well, uh, if I wanted to be...but I don't."

The jealousy in their voices clearly visible underneath their cheap-shots. And I wondered if Denny could hear them. Then again, anyone could hear Eyeball. His voice was like a foghorn in the sea.

"The only place you're ugly face is gonna be is on a mugshot," Ace replied.

Eyeball chuckled. This time Ace's remark had went down well. "Still would be the best mugshot that ever was taken."

"Hey, Ricky?" I sighed.

"What?" he grunted.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere?"

"Where?"

"Oh, I don't know...somewhere like...work?"

"Shit!" he cried and chuckled after. "I forgot!"

Eyeball quickly got to his feet, and rushed out of the diner, the door slammed after him. He had left without even as much as a goodbye. I was glad; he was beginning to get on my nerves. There was only so much of him you could take in a day.

"Asshole, doesn't even know if he's coming or going," Ace said lightly, turning his gaze on me. "Wouldn't even know his left to his right."

"You're still here?" I scoffed. "Shouldn't you be at Irby's? Or - I don't know - crawling back into your cave?"

"Something buggin' ya, Geraldine?" he smiled. "Something burning a thirty dollar hole in your pocket?"

Bev looked at him strangely, behind the blushing's of a teenage girl was a look of somewhat confusion. I had to keep my mouth shut before Ace opened his. He would let the world know all about our deal if I pushed him to it.

"Annie, go put some tunes on," I smiled. "Bev, go with her."

"All right," they replied.

"You dig Frankie Avalon?" Bev asked Ace, squeezing past him.

"I dig what you dig, baby," he replied, enjoying the feeling of her body pushed up against his. He watched her walk away with a small grin on his face.

My stomach churned, was I the only one who could see him for what he really was? An arrogant rogue.

Once Bev and Annie were out of earshot, I leaned in towards him. "Stay away from Bev... and Annie too."

"What about the new chick?"

"Oh, you can do whatever you like with her," I simpered. "She won't last long." _I'll make sure of that!_

"So, apart from country girl, you're the only one who can fool around with a Cobra?"

What me and Eyeball had was more than fooling around. But Ace wouldn't know that, or even understand it.

"Remember Paulette?"

"Sure," he sighed. His voice hardened. "I ain't the one who knocked her up."

"But, one of your snakes did!"

"What do you want me to do, sweetheart? Cut off their peckers?"

I grimaced. "Stay away."

"I'd love to."

"Then scram."

"Don't forget your debt, darlin'." It was his turn to lean in towards me. I suspected if it wasn't for the table separating us we'd be nose to nose. "You're the one that came to me, remember?"

"If you think I'm gonna pay up the rest...Forget it!" I gritted. Eyeball and Faye's kiss now firmly planted in my mind. "You didn't exactly get him to see sense! Thanks to you, you threw him into the arms of another girl."

"Not my fault some broad made herself known. You heard him; he came in to talk to ya. Now, pay up!"

"You can wait all day for all I care," I smiled smugly. "You're not getting another cent from me."

Frankie Avalon's Venus began to play on the jukebox. I looked over at Annie and Bev. They stood in the corner watching me and Ace. Both had their heads cocked in wonderment and confusion. But they stood still, not wanting to interrupt whatever me and Ace had going on.

After an awkward moment of staring at each other Ace spoke, "Okay, okay." He nodded. "You ain't gonna play ball. And I ain't gonna let this slide..."

"What are you saying?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

He pulled a shiny quarter from his pocket and tossed it in the air. "Coin toss," he said, and caught the quarter.

I snorted. "What? Heads you win, tails I lose?"

"Smart girl," he smirked. "Let's make it interesting...Heads, you give me the money...and you owe me a favor. Tails, you keep your money...and I owe you a favor." He leaned in again, the confidence in his tone and face was undeniable. Oh, how I'd love to wipe that smug smile off his face. "How's that sound, Fletcher?"

Every part of my brain was urging me to say forget it and just hand him the rest of the money; owing Ace Merrill a favor was a risk no one would ever willingly oblige to. But, the thought of me having Ace on the palm of my hand was too big of a chance to let slip away. After all, the odds were fifty-fifty and what did I have to lose?

Before I could stop myself I had already answered, "What the hell. Go ahead and flip it, Merrill!"

I watched as he tossed the coin in the air, glistening as it spun, until it landed on the palm of his right hand and he slapped it against the back of his left.

He pulled his hand away, revealing our fate...

* * *

 **Uh-oh, who's going to win the coin toss?  
** **CastleRockGirl's chapter coming soon!**

 **Review? :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys, CastleRockGirl here, sorry this chapter has taken so long! University is starting back soon so I've been a little busy getting ready, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter :) thanks to Izout, Entangler and sodasgirl1 for their reviews on my last chapter, you guys are awesome! Anyway, I hope you like this and maybe leave a review? Thanks!

* * *

 _ **Business of Misery**_

* * *

 _ **Faye**_

 _ **6**_

* * *

"Hey, Uncle Aaron. Sorry for being late."

My uncle stared from behind the counter in bewilderment before checking his watch. "Actually, you're right on time. You alright?"

His concern must have been over the fact I was slightly hunched over and out of breath after having just run from the diner. Turns out my freaking-out in the bathroom stall had almost made me late. In my embarrassment over what had happened I totally forgot I had to be at my uncle's store. Had it not been for Annie checking on me, assuring me I had indeed been successfully initiated- which only made the whole thing only a fraction less disastrous- I'd have probably still been in there.

"Yeah," I lied. No, I was most definitely not okay! "Ready to work," I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.

He chuckled at my attempt of excitement.

"Well, there's not much goes on 'round here this time of year. Business will pick up come June, by then you should know your way around," he sighed. "Still, we need the extra set of hands. After Walter walked out it's just been me and the kid...and he's as good at keeping time as a broken watch."

I followed as he waved me behind the counter and followed him into a small hallway that branched off into three rooms. He gestured to each in turn, starting with the one on the left.

"That's my office, I can't really see you having much cause to go in there. I usually keep it locked because of the safe and all." He opened the door to reveal a small desk, a chair and a few cabinets. All the paperwork and stationery sat neatly organised on the shelves above. Shutting the door, he took out a small key and locked the door before pocketing it again.

He ushered me to the next door.

"In here is the storage room where we keep over stock and special orders. We more or less stock run-of-the-mill tools. If someone comes in asking for something they can't find on the shelves, come back here and check for it and if we don't stock it we import from Portland Hardware. All the boxes are labelled so you should find what you're looking for easily."

I looked around to find all the shelves filled with various sizes of boxes, all marked indicating what was inside. Half of it looked like gibberish.

He opened the door to the last room, "In here is a little less tidy, we mostly keep boxes of stuff we ain't got no place for, but can't throw out. Boxes that need flattened, papers that need ripped up, as well as cleaning supplies and basically any junk that is lying around the place gets thrown in here. I told the boy weeks ago to clear this out but he still hasn't. Sometimes I wonder why I keep him on, but, he knows the difference between a Fisherman's Bend and a Rolling Hitch and that's all that matters," he laughed.

I chuckled along politely, but to be honest I hadn't a notion about what he just said.

The room was about twice the size of a small closet, and indeed was piled high with rubbish on the shelves and the floor. I was willing to bet it would be one of my delightful jobs at some point.

"So, one of the first things I'm gonna have you do is clean in here." Yup, sounds about right. "And then I want you to clean out the store room and basically make your way up to the front of the store and clean there. Besides the odd brushing now and again, this place doesn't see much maintenance. We got a mop and bucket lying around somewhere. Here." He paused to pull out some loose change from his pocket. "Take this and run over to the shop across the street for cleaning products, rags and whatever. You'll have to wait an hour...they're closed for lunch." I opened my palm and deposited the coins in my skirt.

"Great. Thanks so much, Uncle Aaron. Really-"

He got flustered at my gratitude and shook his head, stopping whatever words I was planning to say. In all honesty I didn't think there were enough to cover what he had done.

"No need, glad to have some help around the place." A shrill ring of the bell at the front of the store caught our attention and he nodded. "That'll be him. Come on, I'll introduce you before I head back to the site."

I went to follow him before he put a hand up to stop me. "Look, he's an alright kid! And besides a Saturday and Thursday, you shouldn't see him that much. But, you gotta keep your wits about you. I have him warned to be on his best behavior. You know how guys can get around a pretty girl."

Face flooding, I nodded. And I continued to follow him back up the hallway.

"You're late, son. Do it again and I'll be docking your wages! Anyway, I'd like to introduce you to my niece Faye, as I told you before she'll be helping out and I trust you to show her the ropes."

Only about halfway through his introductions did I move out from behind my uncle's broad shoulders to see exactly who he was talking to. When I finally saw, I froze and my throat ran dry. My stomach, which had only began to untwist after my dare, dropped like a lead balloon. Oh, holy shit!

"Faye, this is Richard Chambers."

It was the guy from school, the diner, oh and the one I just happened to kiss only moments before. He worked in my uncle's store!

He stared back, not giving anything away unlike my most likely dumbstruck expression.

My uncle, seemingly oblivious to the tension, clapped his hands and caused me to jump. "So, I'm gonna get going. Now, I've given Faye a few odd jobs to do and when she's done you can show her some of the basics around here," he said cheerfully. When he got no response his brow creased. "Richard?"

"Sure thing," the boy- Richard- replied quickly.

With a quick pat to my head- which showed just how out of practice my uncle and I were at interacting, as I was a child the last time he saw me- my uncle headed out with a cheerful farewell.

The door closed and me and Richard stood there staring.

"I'm-" my voice came out in a croak and I swallowed hastily before continuing, "- gonna go clean some shelves."

Not waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and walked back down the corridor. Only when my face was out of view did I allow my jaw to drop and my eyes to cast themselves to the ceiling. How had my luck gotten so bad lately? As if it wasn't bad enough that I had kissed him, I now had to work with him for the foreseeable future.

Suddenly hitchhiking back to Oklahoma and forgetting this whole mess was so tempting I wanted to run right outside and never come back.

If only I had known who he was before! This all could have been avoided.

"Wait a minute," I muttered outloud, my mind working overtime.

Half-stomping back up the hall, I crossed the distance between him and I, where he now stood behind the register. "You knew who I was at the school, didn't you?" It made sense, he knew I was new in town and had known my name. My uncle had told him about me, and he knew my last name so the connection was obvious. And he had said nothing.

"So?" he shrugged. He seemed totally unapologetic, not even meeting my eyes as he checked through the till drawer.

Grabbing his arm, I wrenched it around and forced him to look at me, which he did with a certain measure of surprise on his face. A beat of silence passed as I waited for him to answer. His eyes flickered downwards and I realised I still had a firm grip on his bicep which I quickly dropped like it was hot coal and folded my arms.

He quirked an eyebrow at my demeanour. "I had an idea it was you at the school, but I figured I wouldn't see you again until you started here. How was I meant to know you were gonna attack me in the diner?"

I gaped at him in outrage. "I did not-"

"Doll, I couldn't tell if you were trying to kiss me or knock my front teeth out," he replied. "Besides, what does it matter? It was just a kiss."

I shook my head, my eyebrows furrowed. "I would never have kissed you if I knew you were working here. I'd have sooner made out with that greasy guy that almost beat you to the door."

He looked extremely offended. "First off, kissing me is better than Milo Pressman... In fact, you outta thank me for saving you from that," he said through pointed fingers. "And second, you passed, didn't you?"

"Huh?"

"Your dare," he shrugged causually.

My eyes widened, I had no idea he knew the kiss was an actual dare, and then they narrowed accusingly. "How did you know that?"

"It had a 'Deena Fletcher' dare written all over it." He leaned one arm on the counter. "I didn't just walk into the Blue Point to be your little lab rat for Deena and her gals' initiation games for ya, honey. I came to see her."

"What could you and Deena possibly have to talk about?"

"Ouch," he mocked hurt, pulling a cigarette from his back pocket. "She's my girlfriend."

"What?!" As if it couldn't be any worse.

He seemed not to care about my horror about this information, and pulled a lighter from his pocket before walking past me.

I nearly tripped over my feet as I followed him. He reached the back door and swung it open, stepping out into the alleyway.

I ignored his offer of a cigarette as he lit up. "What do you mean you're her boyfriend?"

"I mean we go steady, well not so steady these days, we're pretty much on and off from one week to the next. Technically we were broken up when you kissed me. That's probably why she hasn't ripped your hair out."

I shuddered at the thought. "Why would she let me in the gang when I kissed her kind-of boyfriend?"

He shrugged, "She ain't predictable, that's for sure."

"Is she really mad though? Did she seem pissed off?"

"I don't fuckin' know." He threw his arms up in anger. "I don't spend my days pondering Deena's expressions, do I?." His temper quickly recovered and he calmed, "Relax, will ya?"

"How am I meant to relax?" I demanded. "The first friends I make in Castle Rock and three days in I kiss one of their guys!"

"She's fooled around on me before so this just makes us even," he shrugged. "It's kind of funny if you think about it, she probably expected you to have to kiss some old perv like Milo. But it turns out you threw yourself right at her man."

I seethed as he snickered at the thought. I yanked the half-finished cigarette from his mouth and flicked it as far down the alley as I could. My aim was in my favour today and it landed in a puddle the other side of the alley.

He glared at me, but I decided to take my immature victory and run. I stepped back inside and quickly slammed the door before he could enter. I twisted the lock for good measure. He could walk all the way back around to the front as payback for laughing at me.

I had barely leaned against the wall to comprehend the mess once again when the door forcefully opened and I sprang back and he stepped back inside.

"I locked it." I said helplessly, not sure how he could have gotten back in.

"First rule," he said, slamming the door shut. "The door's a disaster - don't mess about with it! There's a system to it, you best leave it to me. I can't think of any reason you'd have to use it, except maybe when Deena comes in to beat your ass later."

"Not funny."

He chuckled in spite of my words. "I've been telling your uncle he needs to fix it for ages now. For such a rich guy, he's tighter than a duck's ass sometimes."

Jamming the door shut and twisting the lock this way and that, I watched as he skillfully got it to work.

"He can be pretty generous sometimes too," I said under my breath, not wanting to argue but not willing to let my uncle be badmouthed after all he had done. Richard ignored me and once he was satisfied the door was as secure as it was going to be, he walked back up to the front of the store.

"So how did you get roped into working here?"

I was caught off by his sudden curiosity. "I had to find some way of paying him back. He forked out a lot for me to go to school and helped me and my brother Dawson out a lot."

"So, that's the kid's name."

"Dawson? How do you know him?"

The side of his mouth twitched but he quickly recovered. "Small town, get used to it. A fly doesn't take a shit on a tree 'round here without the whole joint knowing."

"Great," I muttered, I had been wishing to settle into life here unnoticed. "Have you got any siblings?" I pressed, wanting to shift the conversation away from myself as quickly as possible.

"One 'round you kid brother's age," he said, without much elaboration.

"What's his name? Maybe him and Dawson could hang out. He's not looking forward to being the new kid in school so maybe having someone he knows-"

Richard cut me off with a snort, "Trust me, the less your brother knows about mine, the better. Besides, Chris has his own little gang of pussies to hang around with and I'm sure your brother can find his own too."

I scowled at his remarks, not liking the way neither his nor my brother were being talked about. But I dropped it, deciding Dawson wouldn't appreciate me butting in and making friends for him.

"I'm gonna go get started on cleaning up." I announced.

He shrugged. "Whatever. When you're done I'll show you how to work the register."

"Thanks, Richard," I replied as I turned to go back down the hall.

"Eyeball."

"Huh?" I turned back, confused about why exactly he just blurted out a random bodypart at me.

"That's my name, Eyeball. Your uncle insists on calling me Richard. But, to you and everyone else...it's Eyeball."

"Okay..." I replied, somewhat unsure. I wondered if the scar on his eye was anything to do with the nickname, but decided not to pry. "Nice to put a name to the face, finally."

"Not as nice as putting your lips to it, I bet?"

Suddenly any amicable feelings I had gathered towards him vanished like smoke. Just when I was beginning to think he may not be so bad, ugh!

"Drop dead," I spat.

I marched back down the hall, whilst his loud laugh echoed after me. Slamming the door for good measure when I got inside the store room, I flicked the light on and sighed into the empty room. Already, Castle Rock had become a nightmare.

* * *

A while later I scanned the shelves, my eyes taking in all the tools and equipment that hung in neat rows, the metal pieces glinting in the afternoon sun streaming through the windows.

Richard- Eyeball- was at some point going to show me how to use the till, but I was determined to put it off as long as possible in order to convince myself I did not need his help. I examined the walls to try and get familiar with all the different things my uncle stocked, my knowledge of tools was general at best.

The door opened and I panicked. Eyeball was down the back for yet another smoke, and I was not ready for my sales skills to be tested just yet.

A trio of guys around my age sauntered in, the one at the front had so much grease in his dark hair the sun was practically blinding as it shone across it. I offered a polite smile as they looked around the store, folding my hands behind my back.

"Can I help you gentlemen?"

The one at the front met my eyes and shrugged, "Who're you?"

"Faye. I work here," I explained, my smile becoming a little strained at his tone.

He chuckled, "No shit. A chick working in a hardware store, thought I'd seen it all."

"Clearly not," I answered, my polite demeanor slipping a little as his friends looked on in amusement. "Are you gonna buy something or did you just come in to be rude?"

He held his hands up in apology. "Whoah, no need to get crabby. We're looking for Eyeball."

Of course, they were his friends, it all made sense now. "Out the back, having a smoke I think. Shall I go get him?"

The guy at the front moved for the other two to enter the store and begin walking round, he remained in the doorway and lent on the frame. "Don't trouble yourself, we'll wait. Wonder what Eyeball's doing hiding in the back when he could be up here entertaining a pretty lady like yourself?"

I began scanning the tools again to hide the roll of my eyes. "We don't exactly get along."

He snickered, "He does have a habit of rubbing people the wrong way."

"His friends seem to share the habit," I replied pointedly, not meeting his gaze. After a few seconds a hand appeared in my field of vision and I turned to see his hand outstretched towards me where he had walked over.

"I give up, let's start again. Billy Tessio."

"Faye Reeves," I replied, begrudgingly shaking his hand.

Billy nodded in understanding. "So you're related to the boss himself, guess that solves the mystery of why you're working here."

My face heated up in both embarrassment and annoyance. It was true my relation to Aaron was entirely why I was working here. And if not for Dawson's considerably younger age he would definitely be here instead. But I was the one who needed a job, and I'd be damned if I was going to let someone think I didn't deserve to be here.

Dropping his hand, I walked towards the counter, glaring at another one of the other guys, who was riffling through the tools carelessly.

I swung open the door to the back hallway. "You have visitors!" I declared, a little too loud for the small space but a couple of seconds later Eyeball came in from the back door and shut it tight before walking out to the front.

"You assholes are early," he declared to the group.

They shot back various replies and excuses for why they had landed over before whatever time he had set.

I watched in confusion as he came out from behind the counter. He grumbled, "Where's Ace?"

"Said he owed some guy a favor down in Richmond," the greasy Billy Tessio replied. "Come on, man! Let's go!"

"Where are you going?" I demanded, watching as Richard grabbed his jacket.

"Out!" he answered curtly, smirking. "Try not to set the place on fire while I'm gone."

"This is my first day and I don't have a clue about half this place, you can't just leave me here!"

His friends sniggered at my outrage and he waved me off as he followed them to the door. "I'll be back to lock up. And I'd keep quiet about my trip out to your uncle. Wouldn't want him to find out you go 'round kissing coworkers on your first day, would we?"

Suddenly the presence of many sharp and potentially harmful tools was very apparent and I wondered which one I could use first that would cause the most damage.

"Bye, Faye!" Billy hollered back, before Richard pushed him out of the door and exited with him.

I made a sound of disgust in the back of my throat as the door shut and I was left by myself. He wasn't far off right, I couldn't have my uncle finding out what I had done this early in the game or he might just be too tempted to scrap my job altogether.

Of course he would find out at some stage, of that I was sure, there were too many witness and like Eyeball had said, gossip spread fast. If I could just show him between now and then that what happened did not affect my ability to tolerate working with Eyeball, I might stand a chance.

Which was easier said than done, because all I could think of was how much I hated his guts!


End file.
